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All I was, I am and I will be

All I was before. All I am now. All I will be tomorrow. My roots explain everything about me. I've travelled around the world, but every time I have to tell my story, I start from there. I start with my parents, with my brother, with my house in San Vendemiano (just one 'm', I've seen it written wrong a lot of times!). I was born on the 9th of November in 1974, 'in Conegliano' as it is written on my identity card. Just because the hospital was in Conegliano, that is five kilometers far from Vendemiano. My house is still there, there is still our name on the entry phone. My Mum still lives there and this fact tells a lot about her. And about us. Some time ago I confided in the interview: " I'm proud of my father, who worked hard as an electrician and of my mother who would have scrubbed the floors almost in all houses in Conegliano. They are my examples to follow. I'm more than happy with the childhood I had, where the wishes were related to the possibility and never more than that." I believe that this phrase sums up the sense of joyful age: the values, the dimension of italian province, the respect to money and all the sacrificies made to earn that money, the honesty and peace.
That said, in the description of my early years the only thing missing , that is not just a little insignificant detail, is the ball. Doesn't matter how much I try, I really can't remember not even one of my friends who was so obsessed with football that couldn't do without it, couldn't think about anything else. May be just my brother Stefano was like me, but he was big, he played in the real teams and i often followed him with my father, enjoying the back seat of our 127. I was sure Stefano didn't have any danger to remain without ball. Instead I had to earn it: daily matches, that lasted hours and hours were followed by those in the evening, lit up by the lights my father installed to transform the little pitch into the well lightened stadium for our own Champions Cup, and, then, at home, alone, I continued playing with the tennis ball in the garage, until I was literally dragged to bed. But even there, under the blanket, I kept on thinking of the matches I'd play tomorrow. Deep down, that's why I dreamt to become a football player. To never be without a ball.