I was born and grew up in post WWII Italy while the country was being rebuilt. Cities, towns, roads, bridges, train stations and other facilities had all been heavily bombed and reconstruction was in full swing.
Poverty, hunger and theft were around every corner you turned and you could not leave your car unattended, even momentarily, or your tires and everything else in it would disappear within minutes. Yet, no matter where you went you could feel an energy in the air, everyone was working hard, regardless of their occupation.
When mother was pregnant with me Dad took her for a motorcycle ride all over the countryside. He loved the freedom of going wherever he wanted. During his military days in Northern Africa he had owned a beautiful two cylinder BMW motorcycle that had afforded him much freedom and now he was again free to go where ever he wanted. But in 1948 the roads were quite bumpy and so it was not too long before Mom told Dad that she was afraid of losing her baby. To please Mom, Dad ended up selling his motorcycle and never rode one again for the next 20 years.
Soon afterwards, to make up for the loss of his motorcycle, he bought a really nice sports car. To share his fancy car, with not only his American wife, but now also with his mother, he took them both out for a joy ride all over the Roman countryside. While speeding freely without any restraints, suddenly to his great surprise, a crossing where the bridge was gone suddenly loomed ahead of him. Too late to stop, Dad decided to continue ahead full speed, and so he actually flew over the river to the other side landing with great force on all four wheels bending both axles on his car outward. And so it became impossible to drive any further.
That night Dad stood guard at the car with his loaded 9 mm Beretta waiting for day break before going to seek for help. As morning dawned, to his passenger’s delight he left the loaded Beretta with his pregnant wife so she could protect herself and her Italian mother-in-law, while he went to look for help. In those days there were highway robbers everywhere.
Dad soon found someone in the countryside who could help him and so both his mother as well as my future Mom returned safely to Rome.
But Mom’s adventures in Italy were not over. The Roman country rides were only a prelude to what was to follow. Later there were several other incidents; most notable was one where Dad saved Mom from drowning and others where Mom saved Dad from legal hassles because she thought and acted quickly when some unexpected visitors came to see Dad at his office.
From the start my parents learned how to work together as a team. God made Mom so she could help Dad and he made Dad so he knew how to take care of Mom. And they were greatly admired by their friends in Rome.