Reflections from earthquake stricken Italy

By Luca Della Volta, Charter President of Rotary E-Club 2042 Italia and 2016-17 Service Projects Committee Chair.

I wanted to write about how much love and support Rotary is bringing to the areas of Italy devastated by the recent earthquake. But my words fail me, so I have to first write from the heart about what I have seen.

I feel as if death has entered me. My lungs inhale the dust of the earth. My feet walk amid debris. My hands touch stone that suddenly gave way, smashing hopes and dreams.

I trudge through streets where, a few days earlier, joyful children were walking with their grandparents, spending time during their summer vacation in the town where their parents grew up before moving on to start a family elsewhere.

Geraniums which once brought joy now are a sad reminder of a happy home that is no more. Outside, near the rubble-strewn lawn, is a crushed car, parked by the driver who returned home a few hours before the earthquake.

The faces of the people reflect pain and their skin bears the marks of devastation. Eyes roam about looking for something to bring peace of mind, but our thoughts are weighed down by those who are no longer here.

In the small village of Saletta, a family’s mailbox which used to hold letters from loved ones remains attached to a gate that now serves as a fragile barrier against trespassers. But you can still see inside the courtyard where among the debris sits a crushed car and two knotted sheets hanging from a window, sheets that helped two people escape to safety.