Over the past five days here in France, I have ruminated on this issue of over-complication, aided by a collaboration of great minds at a fantastic dinner party last night. And I have come to a few conclusions...no, as I have only been in this country for less than a week- a country about which I am largely ignorant- I cannot yet conclude these thoughts. So I will push forward and offer these observations...
#1. America is an overly complicated place.
--Every country, of course, has its complications. I will put forth, however, that the land of the free and the home of the brave is TOO complicated a place. And as such, us Americans tend to over-complicate matters.
#2. Here in Ferney, you do a few things and you do them well.
--Take, for example, bread. Or wine. Or cheese. Each incredibly delicious and each made with a great deal of integrity.
-Everyone goes to the market on Saturday. EVERYONE.
-After a hard day of market-ing on Saturday, nothing happens on Sunday. NOTHING.
-You go to work at 9:00 and you come home at 5:00.
-Lunch is from 12:00-2:00.
Surprisingly simple, these things, and yet surprisingly profound. I have found these details of life here to be incredibly refreshing and thought-provoking. What is it about these aspects of daily living that contrast so much with those I have encountered across the sea? And I think the current issue that strikes me is that which I have briefly mentioned above: integrity.
In the USA, we are bombarded with merchandise that falls apart in minutes, food that tastes bad or is bad for you, products that fill such a small niche that they quickly become useless- the quick fix: anything to make a buck. Here the focus is elsewhere. Sure, you will need to walk across the street to drop off your recycling, learn to drive a manual transmission, and walk a little farther to a store that only sells bread- but you can make damn sure that baguette is going to be worth the walk.
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Your observations are spot on!
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't argue with that! And after the look on Alice's face as we explained the intricacies of American life and democracy, I've got to vote for simplicity and integrity.
ReplyDeleteIn this vein, one thing I've really come to appreciate (to the point of scheduling it into my life) is solitude. It is SO SO SO insanely important to me that I have daily time to check into the solemn, patient, not-loud part of my brain and go, "What am I doing this for? Where do I find meaning in this?" And every time I *do* do this, I'm surprised at how quickly I become tranquil and focused, and how totally all the ridiculous, overcomplicated, meritocratic bullcrap falls away.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it's a credit to the sheer over-complexity of American life that I have to schedule this solitude into my calendar every day, just to make sure I get to it.
Point being: I agree with your post. And am envious of your quality>quanity expat lifestyle.
Also: I found your blog (evidently). It made me really excited, but it also made me look forward to the the summer.
Also also: You should read "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway. Totally different from all his other books - namely because he actually *likes* his characters in this one - and it's a memoir of his time living in France during the '20s. It's really fun, and it would be especially great to read while you're ACTUALLY LIVING IN THE COUNTRY OF FRANCE.
And on a final note: THE DEW GOES AWAY.