Superissimo-000-il-signor-nino

We could not have inaugurated the first edition of ‘Superissimo’ any better than having a chat with Sig. Nino in person.

Although not actually an interview, not a series of sterile questions already heard, read, but a reflection of what can be transmitted from a meeting with a timeless icon of our times, the man behind the name, behind the myth.

On arrival I am welcomed in his office, and once there, I am restless, trying to settle down and prepare to do my part. Sig. Nino, on his part knows exactly how to conciliate the atmosphere, putting himself immediately at a parallel level with me, and so in a matter of minutes, after having calmed down, I am ready start talking but…. something holds me back, I am almost in a daze, the thousands of questions which I had prepared seem to have vanished, hidden in some obscure corner of my mind. It could be the ethereal atmosphere of this place, understated but bursting to the seams with history, or it could simply be that I was a bit scared.

At the blink of an eye my bashfulness disappears because Sig. Nino pulls me back to the present effortlessly.

He observes me, relaxed, and as soon as I am about to express my gratitude in granting me the honour of having this conversation with him, he himself breaks the silence by telling me: “Let us have a smoke, would you like a cigarette?”.

While I politely decline, my head is screaming “I need a100 cigarettes to calm down Sig. Nino”, but allow him to light up and relax, while waiting for me to do my part.

I finally relax and our conversation instantly develops into an exchange of ideas, observations, opinions, notwithstanding the fact that I was sitting opposite an 85 year old man, it felt like I was talking to a young man, curious, emotional but oh so determined.

What struck me immediately, while I was stammering, he interrupts me to convey a concept, he never hesitates, never in doubt, while he recounts how, for him, the images of a storm mirrors the images of our times, halfway between the real and unreal, his tone of voice almost soothing.

I listen in silence, hoping that time stands still, trying to focus on what to ask, but soon realise that there is no need to put questions to Sig. Nino, all one has to do is lie back and listen, captivated with the story of this great man who always lived live to the full, enthusiastically and with passion.

And that is how he talks to me about the future, internet, smartphones: and when I asked him whether all this technology was beneficial, concisely replies “ this society is living a frenetic life, forgetting today’s problems in the hope that all this novelty will solve tomorrow’s problems”.

In an instant, his answer made me realize that maybe we “the young generation” have not grasped the meaning of  life and that we still had a lot to learn from those who have lived their life fully, not through a five inch screen, comfortably siting on a sofa.

Minutes pass as I listen, hypnotised, in silence, to his multitude of stories, his visions, his projects, but time is relentless, so I go for the final question/curiosity, the one question that was ultimately the reason behind this meeting: “How did this idea of creating a Newsletter come about and why he felt the need to create something new and diverse, again?”

Once again Sig. Nino surprises me and from his great experience confesses: “We have two separate ages, the body’s age and the mind’s age and  there is no written law that dictates that the mind grows as old as the body, but that very often it is us who hide behind excuses and pretexts, without realising that accompanying an aging body, you also age your mind, and that is why I believe in this new project, I love to risk, I know that driving slowly reduces greatly the risk of accidents but it is also true that …. You arrive behind the others.

This is the essence of Nino Cerruti, living his life always believing in his capabilities and never standing in line, so as not to risk, but always a step ahead.

There are many, too many things to portray, as a result of this brief chat, and the write of this passage would love to share everything with you, trying in some way to convey the emotions perceived but it would be impossible.

I salute Sig. Nino, thanking him for his hospitality, and leave his office with the conviction that one is capable of anything with the right motivation and that passion and zeal is ageless.