On this Monday morning, after what seemed like an unending, horror-filled Friday, and then a long weekend of total radio silence from the people I actually communicate with who live in Paris, I’m sitting to reflect on the events.
Why all the support for Paris and the rest of France right now? I think it’s very simple to explain. France has always been one of the most important countries in Western society. Furthermore, France is America’s longest standing ally, and our best friend in Europe, really. America and France have long been the beacons for Liberty and Freedom. Now, today, Paris is something else as well. It is a symbol to people all the world round, it stands for so many different things to different people. For myself, it is the literary capital of the world and for others it’s the fashion capital of the world, and so on.
Ernest Hemingway said it best. “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”
While I haven’t been lucky enough to live in Paris myself, I know that I love it. I don’t need to have lived in it to be in love with it, and to show my support during this whole crisis. However, different people feel differently about the whole social media campaign, “Pray for Paris” – or is it “Pray4Paris”? – regardless, since Paris has been the only thing most people, or at least most people I know have been talking about all weekend, I’ve heard some varying viewpoints. Normally, I myself am one to slander almost all social media campaigns, but this one was different for me. It didn’t feel like a campaign to begin with. It was a movement to show support and love for France, especially the city of Paris, and all her peoples. Compassion and empathy are not bad things.
Any American should be able to empathize with the French right now. Does 9/11 ring any bells? This is a horrible thing that has happened on French soil, and not so very long ago, a very similar horrible thing happened on American soil. Can the Americans who don’t feel for France right now honestly be that jaded? Or are the ones running their mouths on social media all just under the age of 14? I digress. It does make me wonder though.
Here’s the thing. Paris is important to this world because it is important to the people in this world. It should be easy for each and every American to empathize with them because we’ve been right there also. We cannot as good Americans just sit back and do nothing, or worse, be negative about people trying to do something. Many of us don’t have the funds or the means to fly over there and offer aide or support or homes and shelter for the people. What do we have? The ability to make it known that even though we cannot directly do something for you, we are there for you. We have your back. If it were up to us, we’d be physically there helping you right now.
Pour mes amis français: nous voulons vous aider. Mais si nous n’avons pas de moyens pour aider, nous avons la capacité à dire à vous que nous voudrions vous supporter. Et si nous ne pouvons pas quelque chose en personne, nous utiliserons la social media pour dire que vous avez beaucoup d’amis ici. Et oui, nous prions pour vous.
No, my French isn’t the best, but the point remains, I’d love to be able to do something myself, but I just can’t.
Now, on this Monday morning, as we return to our lives and my French friends have finally come out of radio silence and all seem to be okay so far, and I can stop worrying, I would like to suggest that we all meditate on what it means to be empathetic, to care for another group of people. I’d like to suggest that we think of France and the French as our friends, again. That we, at least as Americans, feel a sense of unity with the French. In summation, and until next time,
Vive la France!
A Man's Literary Life 