Before our September trip to London and Paris, we met with a couple friend of ours to get their insights on Paris. He spent some of his youth there, and they had returned to Paris for a family trip. Being the sweet hostess she is, there was a lovely snack prepared for our short visit. With the snacks, she laid out the “Pardon My French” napkins. I laughed at the unlikely thought that my friend would speak any indiscretions. She laughed too saying she didn’t even think of that, but that her grown children had given her the napkins because of the way she mixed a little bit of French and a smattering of Korean into her English vernacular. Such fun humor!
I read up on culture as our trip approached, especially for Paris. One hears that the French do not care for American tourists. What I read is that the French dislike our brash style. Americans, especially Americans on travel, may lack courtesy as they pursue their travel itinerary, expect to get all they paid for, and move on to the next event or destination. In the American rush, politeness may be cut short. This, I believe, is not the French way, The French are gracious and desire to provide polite service but expect to be approached with due courtesy.
A few years ago, I discovered a book series entitled Madame Chic. The American author, Jennifer Scott, lived with a French family as an exchange student. Scott was taken with the priority for grace and elegance she experienced in the home of her French host family. The hosts were not a family of means, but they took the time to make everyday life elegant. This included setting a nice table for every meal, keeping the house orderly and uncluttered, and taking care to dress and groom well daily. These little niceties created a sense of beauty, enjoyment, and calm in the everyday. The French expression “Joie de vivre,” the joy of living, suggests living well in the moment.
I think we felt this vibe in Paris. Many Parisians dress nicely. For example, an older lady may be seen wearing pumps to walk her dog. The cafes of Paris – there are three on every corner – are filled late into the night, even on weeknights, with folks savoring their meal, their cigarettes, and their wine. There appears to be no hurry; they do not seem to worry that it’s getting late on a ‘school night.’ I rarely saw a laptop open in a Paris cafe, unlike an American Panera where half the patrons are working on their computers or phones.
I certainly admit that I can tend to be in a rush, especially when we lived in DC, especially when I was working. I caught myself barging into an office or classroom, in a hurry to meet a student, blurting out a request, not taking the time for a kind greeting. I get impatient in inefficient lines, rather than saying a friendly word to someone else who is also waiting. Jesus’s disciples had a similar tendency: anxious to find food or in a hurry to move on to the next stop, missing the mission of the moment. Jesus, on the other hand, savored His earthly time. He stopped to heal, paused to engage (with Zaccheus, among others), welcomed children. The Apostle Paul wrote that we should “make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5 v 15 & 16) The words God speaks through Paul may not be emphasizing the large quantity of things to be done, but rather the value of quality pursuits, using time wisely for God’s kingdom, relishing opportunities rather than rushing through them. What do you think? And yes, these are ominous days.
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