Russ&Suzie

Trip Log
2009-04-07 10:13:11 (UTC)

Incidents at the Ponte Vecchio after the WPA ended

Jo Simons, attentive reader of these words, noted she still
didn't know what the conference was !? So for others who may
have wondered WPA = World Psychiatry Association. It focused
on treatment in Florence. I no longer practice psychiatry
but rather art but have in the past chaired the
Psychotherapy Section. Before me John had been and handed me
the baton whereas I handed it to Dan Wilson from Omaha.

Note the plural of "incidents". The first was a
'non-incident' as it happens. John Price and I had intended
to spend time together as the conference tailed down and
after connecting after the Saturday morning session (from
which I majorly profited), we arranged after his early
afternoon nap to meet at 3:30 pm in the center of this
famous bridge over the Arno, in the center section that
looks west and east over the river. For centuries highly
priced jewelry has been sold on either end.

John said, "If I'm not there in 15 minutes, don't wait
longer as I'll have overslept." But then he added,
"But I'll be there." The plan involved going on a walk to
the Boboli Gardens on the left (south) side of the Arno, the
famous gardens of the Pitti Palace that American author
Henry James had described as peaceful for him..

It then rained somewhat so that I donned my green poncho to
walk over wondering if John really would wish to go see the
gardens. I thought I'd detected some ambivalence about an
excursion that day despite his saying "But I'll be there."

So dutifully I was there at 3:30 but didn't see him. I
checked my time with a person there after about five minutes
and learned indeed it was 3:35 pm. Some people that looked
like him, but clearly not on closer inspection. I took the
picture of a threesome, parents and their young adult
daughter looking east over the Arno. I looked and looked,
wandered to either end, but fruitlessly. I rechecked the
time with another pedestrian (3:45) before leaving thinking
he'd changed his mind. I did feel somewhat distressed in
view of his final emphasis when we'd parted. Now I should
point out here that the place was mobbed with tourists, tour
groups, shifting moving photographing selling. I bought some
postcards.

We had also decided to eat with Mark Erickson at Trattoria
(meaning restaurant) Guelfi (to balance having been at the
Ghibbiline Restaurant before). This acknowledged the bitter
quarels in the 15th century between the Pope and the secular
leaders. John's wish hinged on 'keeping the peace'.

So aiming at the 7:30 pm time, I set out early to buy my bus
ticket and to learn exactly where the bus to the airport
would leave from on the following day. John had carefully
shown the two of us where the restaurant was but
my route from the bus/train station was a bit at odds with
it, so I got to the wrong section of the Via Guelfi and
no-one I asked had ever heard of this restaurant!? But then
I reasoned on where and lo and behold discovered it and
them, with me a bit late. They'd worried and John said that
was especially true as I'd not shown up at the appointed
time that afternoon at 3:30!

So it turned out that HE had been at Ponte Vecchio at
exactly the same time without seeing me!! Was it my time
sense as I no longer wear a watch and might I have been
there on a different hour. I was ready to agree but then
remembered having checked with two watchwearers when there.
I conjectured it was my green poncho but John didn't think
so, as he looked so thoroughly. So both of us felt
despondent over the disappointment, and we talked at some
length: I believe this established for both of us that we
weren't lying, either of us (after all a possibility), but
John was so sure that I had not been there that he was
willing to assert it on stacks of bibles (in which we don't
believe so a less powerful pledge than otherwise). Mark
helped us modulate the situation though neither of us, of
course, felt able to back from our version of the truth.

We met at breakfast the next day and decided on a reprise, a
"corrective emotional experience" or as our colleague who
engaged the two of us in the Psychotherapy Section of the
WPA, a "corrective experience" because it's not just
"emotional" -- we conjectured that because we'd both been
distressed by it, "emotional" would be appropriate. This
time we designated a particular part (under the statue of
composer Benvenuto Cellini) and sure enough there he was
standing and looking at the west flowage of the Arno. But
there was a hesitation for a minute (he'd arrived earlier).
We again went over it and my conclusion is that we didn't
recognize one another, implausible as that is.

Then we spend a very cordial time visiting the Boboli
Gardens on a lovely lovely day discussing his forthcoming
trip to Omaha and Wisconsin, his talk, our writing joint and
individuals, and how very pleasant it was to ascend to the
views of Florence that the place afforded. Then we walked
back and I carried my bags to that bus stop a few blocks away.





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