Posted by Savannah Friedkin on Thursday, June 2, 2016 in Blog posts.

I had the opportunity of interviewing Simone who works at FoodSicily with his father. Simone seems to know everyone, including the girls from our villa. We frequent his shop for sandwiches, and basic groceries. Karly and I set up to meet with him on Monday, in the late afternoon for a quick standard interview about life in Cefalú. What we learned from Simone ended up being so much more. He answered our questions in ways that took unexpected turns and revealed so much about what it means to be a young person in Cefalú within the larger context of the world.

We began the interview by asking about His family in Cefalú; Simone has a mother and father, as well as a brother. He was born in Cefalu but spent the first ten years of his life in northern Italy and Europe for his fathers work. Family is very important to him, which is one of the reasons why he loves living in Cefalú. Both of his parents are also from the Palermo area, if not Cefalú itself. His family has run businesses in Cefalú for a long time. He feels loyal to the town and would like to stay close to his mother, but like many people his life plans are in flux. He has a family and town that he loves, but he also has a girlfriend of one year in the United States. He sees a future with her but also cannot see himself leaving Cefalú.

His girlfriend is from Orange County, she is successful and hardworking. These are attributes which he admires, and believes are missing from Sicilian women. According to Simone, they just want to be supported and lack the sense of adventure that he has and looks for in another person. Simone is passionate about traveling and experiencing new things, but he loves having his home to return to and lead a quiet life. Hearing about his views on dating an American and of Sicilian women made me wonder if this is a shared view among Sicilian men, or even European men in general.

Simone is not only a well-known citizen of Cefalú, but he is also determined to make his town better for everyone. He discussed a festival, which he made possible in Cefalú. The festival was a food festival but it also included various types of entertainment as well. He explained that he likes to organize events such as this in his town, as a gift. He wants to increase tourism for the betterment of the economy and therefore the people of Cefalú. His success and determined attitude toward bettering his town has made people ask him to run for public office. Simone however does not want this because being a pubic figure would make him a target. He is adamant on having a life where he can help his town, but not get caught up in the government. Being a government official in Sicily seems to come with many complications to a person’s life. His commitment to his town and to his family seems old school in the US, but maybe it is just a forgotten value. There is something very admirable about someone who is willing to give so much to their town and who prioritizes family and home above all else.

Everyone can relate to loving where you grow up, but Simone takes this to a new level. He truly wants what is best for his hometown. In talking about moving to the states, it is evident on his face that his love for Cefalu is hindering him from this commitment. He treats the town as family, and he takes care of the place where he grew up. His entrepreneurial attitudes are admirable, but what are even more admirable are his motivations. His motivations are not money or power, but rather making his quiet town reaches its full potential. He made a point of distinguishing himself from the people who tend to hold office through these motives. This revealed an attitude toward those in power in Sicily, which I found very interesting. He believes he can help himself and town more by not getting involved as an official. I have learned throughout the trip that Sicilians do tend to have a sense of pride in being Sicilian. Simone shows this attitude and acts on it.

The interview gave me insight onto being a young Sicilian both personally and professionally. Simone seems to blend the two; he treats the town as both a business venture but also as a home. Location means a lot more than just where you live, it is a community, and the people of Cefalú seem to share this attitude.