Snapping Out of It in Naples: Letters from Italy

Outside, I join a crowd gathered for a puppet show starring Pucinella, the mascot of Naples. We watch that rascal clown declare his love for a wide-eyed signorina puppet. Pucinella goes in for a kiss, and she grabs a baseball bat and whacks poor “Puch” mercilessly. It’s the puppet version of Cher’s “Snap out of it!” Moonstruck slap. As we laugh, a teenager on a Vespa bursts through the crowd to speed down an alley. All of us startled grown-ups lift our arms and shout “AY!” 

I catch my reflection in a bakery window. That’s me. Framed by baba and sfogliatelle, hands raised, mouth open, with all the other five-foot tall, olive-skinned ladies. I’ve become a member of the chorus in the land of my ancestors. It feels fantastico to snap out of it.

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