Et un jour, l'écureuil fut... 

Chers bipèdes,

Vous êtes nombreux à avoir demandé à ma doublure humaine d’où venait Squirelito et son nom. Je répondais plus ou moins car il manquait la preuve irréfutable de mon existence. Je suis né le 15 juillet 2005 (merci de vous en rappeler pour me souhaiter mon anniversaire) pour écrire un billet d’humeur qui me trottait dans la tête depuis des années. D'écureuil extra-terrestre, je suis devenu arboricole hermaphrodite...
Entre 1993 et 2007, j’ai participé à des collectes, à une mailing list internationale sur le ténor Josep Carreras (une pensée pour feu Sharon Herzog pour laquelle j’avais une immense amitié et un profond respect) ainsi que collaborer à une aide psychologique via le forum de la Fondation du ténor contre la leucémie ou par emails. Etant agacé par certains comportements complètement absurdes face aux leçons de vie qui s’offraient à chaque instant de la part des patients et du ténor lui-même, j’ai rédigé cette bafouille (dans mon anglais très particulier...) avec un nom moitié anglais (même si un r s’est envolé), moitié espagnol sur la base d’un animal plutôt espiègle, Squirelito était né. Quand je me suis inscrit sur les réseaux sociaux puis créé un blog, l’écureuil était une évidence (et hop, à la niche ma doublure humaine, zou !) ;

Seul problème, impossible de retrouver ma noisette, disparue en même temps que les disquettes. Mais, ô miracle, je l’ai enfin retrouvée après des mois de recherche, mise en copie sur un ancien Yahoo Group et ainsi vous allez découvrir que déjà à l’époque les élucubrations sciuridériennes travaillaient déjà de la noisette… ! 

Once upon time

Once upon time, a marvellous planet was called "WHHAAT" 

where people lived and enjoyed the best in the best possible 

world as a certain Candide did.

All was quiet, friendly and in reading such nice things 
about this country, an inhabitant called "Squirelito", from 
another planet without a great name because their people 
always prefered to be efficient than too "showing" - maybe 
to avoid some " cold shower" one day -, decided to visit 
"WHHAAT".

The reasons of the Squirelito's travel were numerous but 
the main one was to attend a concert given by the musician, 
Jose Carreras, a very famous opera singer, full of 
incredible talent, unique voice and above all, a marvellous 
heart and soul as he has created a charity for helping the 
others after fighting himself against a terrible disease. 
The Carreras's work was sincere, not a kind of humanitarian 
activity for valorizing his image, no, his only challenge 
and goal was to save lives and help medical research and the 
patients.

Squirelito bought a ticket and tried to get more 
information on the planet, the concert, and many things 
more.

Once he arrived on the "WHHAAT" planet he decided to read 
several newspapers, reviews on the opera singer and to meet 
some opera fans and supporters of Carreras. He was very 
happy and lived in a fool's paradise.

The first person he met, 'A', was a tremendous opera fan who 
wrote many reviews in some magazines. Squirelito was not 
always agree with 'A' but shared their common passion for 
Italian opera and singers who knows how to move an audience. 
However Squirr=elito wanted to ask was why 'A' wrote always 
bad reviews on Carreras saying that he was the shadow of 
himself and pointing out only his charming look. But when, 
Squirelito came to the opera fan's house his big surprise 
was to see all the Carreras's recordings, especially video, 
in the listening room with many pictures in the wall...

Then, a few hours later, he was walking toward the concert 
hall and went directly to his seat to attend the 
performance. The person seated just next to him was 
apparently a big supporter who applauded the artist... when 
he was just front to her. Squirelito didn't pay attention 
to that, thinking it was just a behaviour from "WHHAAT" 
people. At the interval he began to be more sceptical. He 
spoke with several supporters and curiously the discussion 
was not on the performance but only on the singer's look and 
his private life. Squirelito was surprised because he was 
thinking to other comments such as the brilliant voice, the 
marvellous tones, the diction, the moving and the incredible 
communication of the singer who was able to transmit every 
sentiments he was feelling during his performance.

The second part of the concert was even more magic and a 
total of 8 encores was offered which showed the sincere 
generosity of the opera singer. Squirelito noted, also, the 
great talent of his pianist, very talented musician, very 
discret but who was playing like a true and great maestro.

Just after the concert, Squirelito could see a big rush 
toward backstage and was wondering if it was not the 
rehearsal of some race. But no, it was just the wish to 
"congratulate" the opera singer. Squirelito decided not to 
meet Carreras thinking he was certainly very tired and he 
didn't want to behave like an egotist. But he followed some 
others fans just to hear more comments. But most of them 
were the same as during the interval, not a word on the 
program, or the music or the pianist. Squirelito enjoyed so 
much the golden voice and the careful interpretation where 
the more the sentiments were deep in the lyrics and music, 
the more the emotion was growing. No word either of what he 
read in the press: the day before the concert, José Carreras 
met patients and opened a medical unit for improving care. 
Nothing, the comments were always the same, bla-bla and 
gossip. And these supporters were awaiting to met the 
singer. hoping that he could pay attention to them. Some of 
them went at the backstage with a clear idea and not always 
unselfishly.

Squirelito couldn't understand why such bad comments 
whereas they claimed they were supporters. "WHHAAT" was a 
curious planet !! A big disappointment for Squirelito, 
maybe "spare the rod and spoilt the child"...However, 
Squirelito could also have big laughing moments, especially 
when someone began the topic on "the new Carreras's socks, 
yes, those bought in a shop of the town, the big question 
was the colour and why he bought a pair of socks. 
Speculations went at a good pace and Squirelito was only 
sorry not to have made bets.

Squirelito went away but, fortunately, met other people who 
were delighted of the evening but were discret, reserved and 
full of admiration for the singer and the man. And, so, he 
realized that the majority of the audience was sincere and, 
maybe, as acknowledgement for such beautiful singing, would 
make a gesture for his charity. In thinking of that and of 
all the emotion felt throught the concert due to the 
exceptional personality of Jose carreras, he had tears in 
his eyes, exactly like for the few patients who were able to 
attend the concert and where each note gave them emotion and 
hope in their fight. A BEAUTIFUL singing that fills up the 
heart of happiness, joy, and which is able to comfort the 
pain. In the Squirelito's mind it was the most important to 
remember.

15^th July 2005