"Pizzaonian Emerging" Courtesy of the Pizzaonian Art Institute, Abe Straction, curator
THE EARLY HISTORY OF GIOVANNI AND FRANCO PRIOR TO THEIR RISE TO PROMINENCE IN PIZZAONIA
Who are Giovanni and Franco and why should you care? Because in the pursuits of G and F you find the human conflicts you deal with, now or later. The difference is they do it without the clutter or background static that we “real people” deal with on a daily basis. This makes them uniquely free; and eventually begs the question: what is real?
The background:
Giovanni and Franco are two monks living in a Pizzaonian monastery located in the country of Pizzaonia, a country that exists in an alternate universe. Both Giovanni and Franco were born in the United States but portalized to Pizzaonia some time ago.
They became brothers of their order in their mid thirties and have spent the first twenty years of their relationship toiling in the kitchen of the monastery. Ironically, both are educated, reasonably sophisticated, worldly men,
Because each suffered through occupational and relationship disasters, they found themselves going into their mid life crisis younger than most. Both came to the conclusion separately that they had enough of the world as they had experienced it and were quite ready to withdraw from its day to day travails to find something else.
That is how they found themselves in Pizzaonia (an alternate universe) and each other at the monastery and developed this strange, strong bond of friendship that only can be shared by people with shared experiences.
Their daily routine at the monastery consists of rising early each morning so they can tend to the duties in the kitchen. These duties consist of washing an endless parade of pots, pan, dirty dishes, dirty floors, tables and anything else that is needed in a kitchen that feeds two hundred and fifty other brothers, who from Giovanni and Franco’s perspective seemed to be always eating.
Since Giovanni and Franco are also expected to devote their time to spiritual devotions and reflections they are allowed two hours a day for prayer in silent meditation.
It is during this time while talking with each other in violation of the monastery's period of silence, they discovered the strong bond between them that became a true love hate relationship.. Even though these conversations are forbidden by the rules of their order, they find the temptation to converse pervasive.
Unknown by either Giovanni or Franco, is that Brother Timothy, the headmaster, knows about their transgression during the meditation hours, and is quite willing to let it pass.
Brother Timothy learned long ago that perfection was not to be had in this world, and anyone who could do the job that Giovanni and Franco did so well everyday in the kitchen could be cut a little slack.
We are entering their lives after a long period of silence has existed between them. These periods of silence usually occur when Giovanni is overcome by guilt for not using the two hours for meditation. However, the guilt usually subsides and the talks begin anew.
We join them after their trip to Tibet. Concern and anguish is rampant since the monastery and the monks discovered they are in an alternate universe. Brother Timothy, the headmaster, has taken it particularly hard. Ironically, Giovanni and Franco are not bothered by Brother Timothy's concern since they have never been sure of what is and isn’t real.
Like most people facing the question of what they are doing with their lives, real or imagined, their preoccupation, strange as it may seem for two monks working in a monastery, covers a gamut of subjects from the vow of poverty to getting rich quick. This constant state of agitation between their conflicting drives of spiritual and material pursuits provides much of the motivation for their actions.
Next: Brother Timothy’s near breakdown over being from an alternate universe.