The Portuguese Word for a Cloud-Walker
"You're living in the middle of nowhere” my mother used to tell me when chastising me for being unrealistic. She would criticize those who never came down from the clouds of dreams, because she was an ultra-realist. It's also not unjust.
Her generation had taught her to be realistic in the harshest sense. Political events, economic hardships, family losses, boarding school years, and a difficult working life. All of this does not make for a particularly dreamy individual. She had the unfortunate misfortune of having a daughter who, like me, fantasizes about work and dreams.
My dreams were always a source of strength for me. Although I occasionally reflect on the past, it is the future that provides me with my true strength. Actually, I am a true dreamer, but because I have people around me who pull me back to reality, I am able to balance myself and my life.
Portuguese has a special word for cloud walkers. Nefelibata.
The word comes from the Portuguese words "nephele" (cloud) and "batha" (a place to walk). It refers to someone who lives in their own imagination or dreams, or who does not follow society's generally accepted rules.
In fact, we owe many things to such people: Novelty, aesthetics, kindness, revolutions… Art, which is the most valuable thing that makes the world livable, is created by these people, whose minds are in the middle of nowhere. I guess Picasso wasn't exactly a normal person, nor was Salvador Dali. So, too, do Virginia Woolf and Roald Dahl. We owe everything nice in the world to such dreamy people. I would be happy if I could be one of these people, even a little bit.
My son looks a little like me too. Maybe cloud-walking is contagious. I hope so.
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