France - Culture vs. Concrete

Don't misunderstand me - culture rocks!  Or do I mean a lot of culture is made of rocks, marble and concrete.

The good news is that we just returned safely from a trip to Paris.  The unfortunate news is that I traveled to France as a "debt" I owed to my husband who was kind enough to move from a Chicago suburb to a small town  that is one hour away from his place of work in downtown Chicago.  Bert runs Zanies in Chicago.  Thank goodness we both love to laugh.  It's saved our marriage, again, and again and again.

I appreciate Paris and all that it stands for but a visit wasn't necessary.  I'm afraid of airplanes and heights and I dread big cities because of the noise and overcrowding.  You'd think that would be a lifelong argument to not make the trip but Bert had romantic ideas from watching all those black and white movies that he loves so much.  He just forgot that I wasn't in any of them.

I have also become an "anti-hoarder."  After watching how the world works for so many years, I have very little appreciation for the material world.  Walking past shop after shop, after Parisian shop, I knew the costly and beautifully made clothes were wasted on this tourist.  Ever since our move to a small town I can't bear to go shopping.  I imagine every trinket for sale in a plastic garbage bag as it appeared when I donated and/or threw it out when I lightened the load in our new house.

Bert is obsessed with clothes.  He dresses well and puts on a great appearance.  We were the odd couple of this new black and white movie.

The best part of the days were the outstanding restaurants where we ate magnificent dinners.  I'd like to say there was no downside to this one however the downside is apparent the moment you enter the city.  Parisians are thin and they look good!  How do they do it?  We were now playing the part of the Fat Americans in our movie.  Well, it turns out they smoke quite a lot.  That fit well into the scene if our black and white came out in 1944.

What's important to me now is a healthy and loving family and making other people in the world feel good.  There's no store or monument for that.  It's building from the inside out.  I like to do it in green fields surrounded by rescue dogs or standing on stage and delivering stand up comedy that makes people laugh to tears.  My entire movie is in color and I love every minute of it!