To The Future

 I returned from  France 10 days ago.  The culture of my village is evolving much to my dismay. More Americans are buying houses in an attempt to escape our government.  They often speak no French but want to learn the language. The Brits who already discovered the village may or may not choose to learn the language.  For she who goes to France to speak French, I find this very disheartening. Merchants  immediately assume people they don't recognize as non French speakers.  This actually makes me  very angry, although if I am among non French speakers with whom I am speaking English, this is a logical assumption.  I am thinking of getting a  giant button that reads "Je parle francais."  It might be possible to get a volunteer job where French is spoken in the village. Or maybe I need to get out of town more. Anyway, this bizarre dilemma of not being able to speak French in France or specifically in Monflanquin requires more thought. I may need to reframe my language practice as quality over quantity. Luckily, my older French friends speak no English. May they all live until 101, the age of my oldest French friend Madame Gerard.

I spend my last  precious weekend in France in Paris. At the top of my list is a visit to Notre Dame de Paris to see  her renovation.  It is possible to reserve a time slot online for visitors, but no spots  are left for this particular weekend.  When I optimistically arrive at the cathedral, the queue to get in looks  intimidating, but I make my way to the end,  quite tricky to determine.  Around me, excited tourists speak Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, and even some French. One hour later, my little pod is permitted entry. Notre Dame looks stunning. A feeling of awe and appreciation for the labor of love the renovation represents fills me with joy.  Artisans from all over France helped rebirth Notre Dame and in the time frame set by President Macron.  As an unexpected bonus, a mass is taking place as we walked softly along the perimeter of the pews.  Looking all around, I take pictures of the renovation, wishing for a guide to explain the work in detail. Below please enjoy the pictures of Notre Dame in her  renewed glory.

Change is inevitable. We can fight or accept it. Does the renovation of Notre Dame look exactly as before? No, but Notre Dame welcomes us back into her present and into a future meaningful for the individual and the community.  So my Monflanquin is evolving. That will be acceptable as well. Beauty and magic  and the possibility of speaking French still exist there.