Children Quote by Roberto G. Ferrari
““My son is the man who is handing his passport to the policeman. My son is the policeman who is receiving the passport. My son is the old man in front of me in the queue, here, in the air-port, in Beijing. Over the last twelve months, I have been seeing the face of my son in the faces of all the Chinese people I have happened to meet. I was walking in Milan, Italy, when Laura called me and told me that our application had been finally sent to China. We would be receivinga son or a daughter from China. I was excited. I put my phone into my jacket pocket and slowed down in the Corso Vittorio Emanuele gallery. There was a multitude of people around me, but I was totally unaware of their existence. I was trying to picture my son’s, or my daughter’s face and hands. I wondered what age he or she was. For a while I kept imagining and reviewing all the possibilities, and all the hypotheses, but I was not able to create an image which would bring an end to my seeking. Then, suddenly, I found him. He was walking in front of me with his wife and little daughter. I was not sure about his origin, if he were truly Chinese or not, but it was definitely him. He was a little younger than I. I was happy to see he was so distinguished, with his gold-rimmed glasses and nicely ironed, blue shirt.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Personal Narrative, 2022
The narrator sees his own identity reflected in strangers, realizing shared humanity across cultures and generations.
In simple terms: Seeing ourselves in others reveals common humanity.
Seek connection by recognizing shared experiences.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- travel
- immigration
- family reunification
- multicultural encounters
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of your identity do you see in strangers?
- How does recognizing similarity change your behavior?
Personal bias may color perception of others.