I was fourteen, the last year of the lower secondary school, and the well-deserving teacher of English, a true precursor of the importance that this language would have in the future of the world, gave each of us students the address of one of our European peers, in order to facilitate the knowledge and skill that somehow came out of the normal translation of the usual 10 phrases from Italian into English and vice versa. At the time in Italy the "question and answer conversation" as it is nowadays used to indicate, was almost unknown: it stopped in macaronic and purely grammatical English.
I was lucky enough to have a Finnish girl from Mikkeli, 8 months younger. Finland! In that period, although geography constituted an important subject of study, my horizon extended at most to remote Sweden: an experience awaited me that would change my personal way of understanding time and space.
The first letter I received was chilling: she wrote in English with a property of language that was too complicated, disconcerting and superior for me, and besides that, Swedish was a compulsory subject for her.
The first dialogues were the mutual admiration of Elvis Presley, the magical Little Richard and Paul Anka with his unforgettable "Diana".
There was the first thing that struck me in an unusual and surprising way: at the beginning of each letter she drew the white Finnish flag with a blue cross in pencil and colors.
Even more traumatizing was the months after a phone call that took place between us after a wait of over 6 hours: my arms dropped and I was ashamed of myself by observing how problematic it was to communicate with an interlocutor who expressed herself quickly and flawlessly.
Here: the cases of life have reserved me to reside for 17 years in that Finland that I have learned to know, over the years, in all its entirety, especially in reference to the population, the climate and the strategic position that Nature and Destiny has reserved for them.
To express an opinion on this State belonging to the European Union and which has the euro as its currency, one should reside there for a suitable time, get in touch with people, initially generally very reserved, observe the services it offers to the citizen, the functioning of the School, the true driving force of the State, the means of transport and their functionality, especially in the winter period.
In summary, the tourist who arrives for 10 days to take pictures cannot, even if he wishes, obtain such responses.
It was said of the flag: the Finn loves his country; the banner is everywhere, including apartment blocks.
The flag is one with the nature of this country: an indissoluble combination and an integral part of the character of the population; people live in symbiosis with the forest or lake behind their house, one might say. This is the reason why it is impossible to take a census of the number of existing lakes; official estimates list well over 200,000 but other more detailed ones reach over 600,000.
Why has Finland always been on the sidelines, almost fearful of showing itself, too dependent on morphology and strategic position?
Why is this state, by its nature not aligned, now coming out of its shell?
Allow me an externalization: today it is fashionable, and reading the Italian chronicles there is full confirmation of how many Italian politicians, who perhaps here in the Land of the Lakes have never set foot, consider the possibility inappropriate, which I consider necessary , of a membership in NATO which cannot be postponed, given the well-known tragic war events.
If Italy were bordering for 1,340 kilometers with Putin's Russia, what would any government do, even one, by way of example, chaired by Berlusconi, Salvini or Meloni, notoriously always lavish with praise towards the current Tsar? Are we sure that with this neighbor we would be safe?
What would happen if, with this potential threat, Italy were to restore compulsory military service?
Here in Finland military service has always been and still is indispensable, and today the expenses for defense have unfortunately increased dramatically.
Well, the recalcitrant or those who deem it inappropriate to join NATO could be strongly advised to come to these parts, cross the infinite lines with the great Goliath, and imagine that this boundless country ends in the remote Sea of Japan.
This has not always been the case: in the post-war period the great Finnish President Urho Kekkonen managed for many years to have a friendly dialogue with Nikita Khrushchev, and relations were good.
Today Russian diplomats are being expelled and even the Finnish state post has imposed a halt on correspondence with Russia and Belarus.
Even those who criticized Finland for joining Nuclear power - the last state-of-the-art reactor was activated a few months ago - must now change their minds: making dependence on Russia ever lower.
Here diesel and petrol exceeded 2.3 € / l.
It should end with politics: having to suffer and face the serious burden of the pandemic as soon as she is elected and now the one no less serious than the war tremors is a young prime minister: Sanna Marin.
Probably she is the one to take this difficult but necessary and inevitable decision. Do you imagine a similar situation in Italy?
A conclusion is necessary: we Italians here, compatibly in the circle of numerous acquaintances, we are very happy. Including the group of close-knit Sardinians.
In winter, temperatures are very low: but we defend ourselves very well from the cold, because as a shield we feel the hospitality that surrounds us. The uncontaminated nature and the lakes protect us from any threat.
Mario Sconamila - Finland
(Former Mathematics teacher)