You know when you don’t even know how or when it happened, but somehow you’d subscribed to let’s say Amazon Prime Video and you kind of ignored the e-mails from Amazon, because… Amazon, but, then, one day, you accidentally (not) open the e-mail and boom, you see you’re so subscribed? You’ve been for a while.
My instinct, at first, was to end the subscription. But, just as instantly, Vlad crossed my mind. Vlad is a funny guy I have a great time with whenever we bump into each other. Vlad saw the birthday cake dropping from my hands whilst a lot of people were singing Happy Birthday while, obviously, looking at the candle lit cake and, hence, me, at midnight, at a party once. They were not singing to me and it was not my fault, the handles of the tray the cake was on were not the real deal, but that’s another story, one of the most embarrassing, but so fun to remember about now stories of my life.
The connection between the Prime subscription and Vlad is a delightful discussion we were trying to have whilst at a concert. Cristina, what do you think is the deal with Pep Guardiola’s style? I mean, his white some kind of neckband, the white some kind of cuffs. You know him, right? Fireworks fired up inside, because – aside from being at a concert and waiting for it to begin (oh maaan! I hope concerts will be possible in the very near future, oh maaan, oh maaan!) – I entered, with him, a space I enjoyed in a space I’d, already, been enjoying so much. Oh man, oh man! We were talking about a guy – Pep Guardiola – I’d noticed here and there and even if I didn’t know that much about him then, I could tell he was a great guy. The more I found out about him, the more I got fascinated with him. Just like I get with each beautiful soul I discover. Anyway, this man is one of the best football coaches ever and, on top of that, he has a special sense of style. In dressing, as I’d noticed while googling, but then also in coaching, as I’m, nowadays, discovering through this documentary Vlad told me about at the concert (oh man, oh man!). And yes, it is on Prime and if you want to take a break from Downton Abbey or whatever it is you’re watching, I suggest you watch All Or Nothing: Manchester City.
With Pep, like with any other authentic person, the style is, in fact, his soul showing up and doing the trick. Pep is, definitely, playing (just like when we were kids and were, genuinely, playing) with those very subtle details. A fun game the rest of the world is watching and, without knowing why, likes.
Style is not about Look at me, style is about This is me, Diana Ross
And this is where clothes help us all (when we choose to) do that. Some of us don’t really care about that and think that it’s not important and it really isn’t when you choose to believe it’s not. Think of Steve Jobs. There was only one Steve Jobs, though. Some of us find the awareness of our soul talking through everything that we are and choose to express into the world to be very interesting. Part of who we are. Truly. The style becomes your hands, let’s say, and what’s more romantic than holding hands? Freely. Kissing, duh.
So, yes, I guess we’re talking about romance. These details Pep chooses for himself (the white some kind of neckband, the white some kind of cuffs) are subtleties the romantic in him shares with the romantics in us. Magic happens when these subtleties (unique to each person) lock eyes and hold hands by the end of a meeting. Or a first impression thing. Or over a coffee thing. Ooor a ‘happily ever after’. Anything.
It takes courage to be yourself. Courage is romantic, is showing life you love life. Because, newsflash, we’re all, at times, wobbly, but newsflash, we’re in this together.
The rivalry between Pep Guardiola and José Murihno is like a metaphor for life, however. They both have style and this is how we can all, once again, be in awe of life and the one love we all, actually, share. Dream of. It’s only a matter of ways to express it into the world. Life is a matter of choices and every choice you make makes you. There’re only two ways to do that, really. Through love or fear.
Their contrasting styles were on full display, ‘All Or Nothing’.
Everyone sees Guardiola as this creative artist, the “Michelangelo of the technical area”, but actually he’s a winner, ‘All Or Nothing’.
It’s fascinating how their styles are called attacking football and park the buss. And it might come across as shocking at first, but Pep’s is the attacking one. It makes sense when you come to think about it. Isn’t this precisely how it is in life? You have to be a worrier for love. There, I said it.
Manchester City, Pep’s team, won, spoiler alert, wahaha. In the documentary. And, well, real life. The two coaches hugged in the end. And it’s not only fair-play to do so in sports, obviously. It’s how the world is built. There are a lot of elements in Mendeleev’s table. 118 to be precise. Ok, so not seven billion, but still!
Guardiola doesn’t understand the concept of parking the bus, he just unleashes the Ferraris, ‘All Or Nothing’…while wearing his simple grey or black sweaters and, almost without exception, with a white some kind of neckband, the white some kind of cuffs underneath.
A white detail close to the face always (always) brightens up anyone’s face. However, the white must be a cold white for a cold skin tone or an off-white for a warm skin tone. It’s that little extra that brings a subtle je ne sais quoi to Pep’s style. The white shirts, t-shirts, details bring up this allure of relaxed etiquette that brings up, in fact, the light in his eyes. Coming from his soul. His love for what he does. For people. Players. His passion. Fierceness. Confidence in the light. Tone. Warmth. Fierce warmth.
Be a team, guys, be a team!, Pep in All Or Nothing.
Watching this documentary on football not only reminded me of the energy I remember experiencing on the stadiums, during the football matches (or concerts, oh man, oh man!) I myself went to, but also of the excitement, from back in the day, in middle school, when it felt like the whole world was watching the big championships. I even had favourite players. It felt like We Came One. Just like it felt like going through this whole pandemic. We came and we come one.
Anything we do is about being here mentally, not just physically, as Pep Guardiola says. This pandemic felt like a brick humankind needed. Let’s hope that the damage done is not for nothing. Every human being is inspiring. When getting dressed (or undressed), when holding hands and so on.
Cause I’m the left eye, you‘re the right. Would it not be madness to fight?
And if we think about it, Vlad, rules is what we could have discussed only. But no, we chose the romance, because there isn’t really anything else. You asked me what Oz in Paris was doing and you, instantaneously, put a smile on my lips. Since you don’t have any social media account, this is for you, Vlad! Wahaha!
Be a team, guys, be a team!
