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The Ice Cream Man From The Mountains
Story Told By Dominic Carlo Rocco Federici
www.dominiccarloroccofederici.blogspot.com


42 years of Sitting behind a dashboard, watching the world change as he tries to provide for his family. Ever thought of the life of an ice cream man?or what he sees from behind the counter?..probably not. This is why I chose to tell the story of Graziano Federici..a man im proud to call my father..the man who is known by the people as sheffield as the ice cream man.The single longest ice cream man going around the streets, smiling and brightening up the days of the children of Sheffield. What my father has achieved is one in a million. Being born in the mountains of Italy; life was hard; money was short and access to opportunities’ little. “Take what you get, be thankful for what is given” is the rule my dad has lived by for over 60 years. Being brought up in the mountains was a hard time. The nearest town was a place called Bedonia which was 14km away from which both my grandfather and my father use to walk to every week to try and earn pennies to live on. My grandfather was a great musician and with the help of my father use to go and set up in town and play for an audience whilst in one hand a hat and the other a smile my father use to go around scraping for as much as he could get. My father learnt a valuable lesson that he would keep for the rest of his life..smile..smile..smile. Life was no way easy at this time but what my father did learn was respect and patience. Respect what you have, respect what you learn and wait for the good. It will always come around. Living by this nature was only common sense at the time but looking back at it “It served me well” and indeed it served my father well. Oppurtunities dont happen often for a boy from the mountains…that opportunity has brought him a family, house and a life in ice cream. Coming to England, not knowing the language, culture or even money he was put straight to work behind the counter. Alienation. For 4 years my father grafted working from 6am til 10pm everyday learning about an entire new world. New language, currency, culture and everyday life. For 4 years this set up his own ambition to start his own business and through the lessons learnt in these 4 years and hard saving up my father managed to buy his first van..”G.Federici Ices” to this date this name has stuck and a legacy has been brought about. Since this very day of his first ice cream van he never looked back and served the generations of children ice cream every day “I use to go to him everyday after school back in the day, since that my daughter and her 2 kids have been to him ever since. I remember him everyday. Same time. Same spot. Same big smile.” From this moment on for more then 30 years my father carried on his round watching as time passes by. Children becoming adults, culture changing every day. The streets are where my father has been most his life and its where the usual sound of his ice cream chime can be heard, everyday at the same time. Routine is an understatement. My father managed to provide for 3 children and a wife aswell as paying the bills by serving the community with his passion of making it a happier place to be around. For 42 years..behind a windscreen…same seat…same roads…40 miles a day…120 stops…everyday…7 days a week. If you looked up dedication in the dictionary..my fathers name would be underneath it. Turn abit more pages and under lonely you would see his name aswell. However we only see the smile and the exterior of the ice cream man whenever we get our 99 but no one realises everytime they leave and he returns to his seat, memorys of Italy and the mountains are always in his mind. Sadness because the village is dying out, His community is now in the cememtery whilst he serves another. His wish now turning its karma on him. A wish that had served him soo well throughout and now the memories of the mountains are evid vivider as he becomes older. His home land. The place where he will return one day and keep up the life and give back his soul to the mountains. This is the meaning of life of an ice cream man…that very ice cream man you use to go to when you were a child…that very ice cream man that for 42 years has gone about his job with the biggest smile across his face…

“love, happiness, health and ice cream”