On the Wave of My Dream

Sometime during the first months of 2008, while I was logged into Skype, a message suddenly popped up from one Lorenzo - somebody whom I did not know, in Italy. The message said that its sender was already in the Guinness Book of World Records, for having collected the largest number of bottled-water labels from countries all over the world. He wanted to retain his record, and since he had no labels from my country, Barbados, would I be so kind as to help him by sending him one. I guess he did a Skype search for Barbados and found me on-line.

Bottled water labels? Hmmm, how unusual, interesting and fascinating, I thought! So I typed a response, and asked for more information. He told me a little about himself and that he would really appreciate it if I could buy a bottle of water, remove the label and mail it to his address in Italy. Sounded harmless enough, so why not ? His request sounded sincere, and I promised to do so. The next time I was at the supermarket I remembered and bought not one, but two bottled waters - one with a Barbados label, the other with a Trinidad one. I carefully removed the labels, printed the address he gave me on a plain envelope, went to the post office and mailed them. I deliberately did not give a return address - after all, I didn't really know this person and thought the story would end there - it was just a simple "good turn" in the Universe!

With all that was going on in my somewhat unsettled and busy life at the time, I completely forgot about this over the next weeks. Then Lorenzo contacted me again, telling me that he had received an envelope from Barbados containing two labels, and asking if it was I who had sent him. I was surprised that he received the envelope so soon. . . Italy is a long way from my little island of Barbados! He was so appreciative of my small gesture - I guess it meant a lot to him. We never spoke, but skype-chatted across the miles. He told me that he worked at a hospital and was also a musician. He asked if I would like to hear one of his compositions. Being a music lover and from a family of many musicians, I was curious and keen to hear what kind of music an Italian collector of bottled-water labels could produce! When I played the Mp3 that he sent, I was amazed and touched by the soulful quality of this stranger's music. In exchange I sent him my humble amateur recording of the Ave Maria. In retrospect, it was a brave thing for me to do, I laugh at myself - but Lorenzo was appreciative of my song and probably more so of the gesture. Well, back to the bottled water labels . . . my new 'friend' Lorenzo offered to send me a special Guinness Book of Records certificate if I gave him my address - this, he said, was the usual thing he did for people all over the world who had contributed to his record. But instead of that I told him that the best thing he could do would be to send me another of his compositions, as I found his music to be soulful, peaceful and inspiring. So my new bottled-water label friend sent me another music file, and a link to his MySpace page, where I realized that everything he had told me about himself was exactly the same. I realized how much his music meant to him and that he had received formal musical education in piano at the Florence Music Conservatory. Curious, I also did an internet search of The Guinness Book of World Records and found:

Largest collection of bottled water labels
: Lorenzo Pescini of Florence, Italy has a collection of 8,008 different bottled water labels from 154 different countries of 1,562 different springs, as of 8 January 2008, that he has amassed since 1992.


In the months following, I was in touch with another Italian, my friend Paola Baldi, the Italian Consul in Barbados. Paola is an interesting and lovely woman, and a great artist. We exchange emails from time to time, and I decided to share with her the link to Lorenzo's MySpace page that her compatriot had sent me. Well, as it so happened, on the very day that I sent her that music, 13 December, 2008, Paola was heading off to a gathering of artists who were going to have a paint marathon at Lancaster, in Barbados. Her response was:

Good morning Val,

Thank you so much! I am listening to Lorenzo Pescini music while answering your message. Indeed it is really relaxing and the sort of music that carries one away with imagination, what I need ! as today I will go and take part in this B.A.M. Bdos Artist Marathon at Lancaster! so its a good way of " recharging my batteries" and get my mind free of anything besides what I will paint....
I also like the paintings of Francesco Nesi , which accompany the you tube segment of music. They have Chagall dream and poetry quality!
Thank you and Grazie for thinking of me!
love you! Paola


Italian Lorenzo's music video of "Behind the Moon" would prove to be her inspiration in producing her beautiful painting "On The Wave of My Dream" that day. His notes of music float at the top of her imagination and find their place in her painting. She was most grateful for that timely inspiration. I conveyed this to my friend Lorenzo, and sent him a jpeg of Paola's painting.

He asked permission to use Paola's painting on his MySpace page, and so I connected Lorenzo and Paola and they too became Facebook friends.

Paola wrote us:

"Dear Val and Lorenzo,
Thank you for the thoughts I will be honour myself if you want to use " On the wave of my dream" on your Myspace page.
It is so amazing, I know you only through Val comments to your music and I listen to a bit of it on saturday before heading off to this painting Marathon! All I had was my scetch pad with old scetches didn't had time to charge my IPOD to keep me company and all I had was your notes in my head!
much love to both of you, Paola

Italian Paola's painting from Barbados now has a place on Lorenzo's page. Isn't it wonderful the way the Universe works?

But the story continues. . .
About a month ago, one evening while I was in Holland (following my own heart and dream), Lorenzo contacted me on Skype again. He told me that he was getting ready to release his first CD, and needed help with translations of the titles for his music. The titles are in Italian, and he wanted to also give them in English. We chatted back and forth about the various titles and the feelings he wanted them to convey for his music. I gave him my suggestions and advice. I must mention here that Lorenzo from Firenze, Italy is the same age as my second-born son. It was a good feeling to know that I could help this young man towards fulfilling his ambitions - even though it was in such a very small way, and I was happy to know that he respected my opinions. It was fun to help him on the wave of his dream!

Fast forward to the present, here I am in Caracas, Venezuela, and have just received a Facebook message from Lorenzo inviting me to see and listen to the video of his newly released CD "Dietro la Luna" (Behind the Moon), and asking me to post it on my Facebook page. Of course, I was more than happy to do that, and to share this beautiful music with my friends.

Imagine my delight and surprise to also receive this message from my musican friend whom I've never met:

Hi Valerie...
You are among the "credits" inside the CD...for your precious work of translation.

Lorenzo, I am touched and honoured. This was never work, this was a pleasure, and this is why I believe in the power of kindness and friendship, the truth of Divine Order, and the beauty of The Universe. I also believe with all my heart that we must follow our dream. . .no matter how high or how far the wave takes us!