Beyond Words: The Kindness of the People in Paris
I’ve always believed in the transformative power of kindness, a theme I recently explored in an article for Grice Connect, a local news source I write for. Little did I know, this concept would soon resonate even more deeply after my own experiences during an unforgettable journey abroad.
My partner David, his family, and I embarked on a trip that originally centered around a martial arts seminar in Germany, an amazing opportunity that emerged from their dedicated training. Eager to make the most of our travels, we planned an extension to explore Paris for two days. However, what was meant to be a straightforward itinerary unfolded into a series of unexpected events, each extending our stay and teaching us invaluable lessons about human kindness.
Our adventure into the unknown began with a canceled flight back home due to nationwide airline strikes in Germany, affecting our layover and leaving us stranded in Paris. Then, in a twist that seemed to compound our travel woes, I lost my phone on the Paris metro, causing us to miss our rescheduled flight once again.
Despite the initial panic and frustration, these mishaps became blessings in disguise, revealing the unmatched kindness of Parisians — a strong contrast to the stereotype of rudeness or standoffishness sometimes associated with the city’s residents.
The kindness we encountered in Paris was overwhelming. From locals patiently helping us navigate language barriers to spontaneously drawing maps or offering unsolicited discounts, their warmth and eagerness to assist were heartwarming. Every person we met was incredibly kind, helpful, and warm, excited to share about their love for Paris.
Our interactions weren’t limited to simply seeking directions or tips; they extended into genuine, and sometimes lengthy, conversations on the metro or in cafe lines, where locals were just as curious about us as we were about their lives in the City of Light.
One memorable encounter was with a woman who recounted her travels to America, reflecting on the joys of exploring new places with her children and now grandchildren. Her stories highlighted how travel enriches our appreciation for home, echoing our feelings of discovery and connection.
“Traveling makes us appreciate our homes more,” she shared, her words resonating with our own journey. This spontaneous connection on the metro was a testament to the depth of interaction possible when we open ourselves to the stories of strangers.
Slice of fallen nightlife in Schwenksville circa respite against August dog days
Upon this September 25th night two thousand nineteen, a indistinct inaudible humming/rumbling vibration sensed (but not so much heard) below decibels of audibility more so felt thru cells of flesh and blood. This incessantly sustained barely detected tremble mystified me. Impossible mission to pinpoint location, but predicated upon natural deductive intuitive reasoning, I surmised the source generated said sound quite some distance away. Hours elapsed with no discernible change emanated such signal. Constant low pitched characteristic bespoke/aawoke analogy to machine such as generator. Unlike shrill noises which tend to induce aural discomfort, thee bass sic hum gave rise to contraption gently massaged the body. Rather than stay awake all night, or dare venture into the inky blackness, yours truly opted to snuggle under blankets (careful not to disrupt the missus) experiencing, luxuriating, and venerating nocturnal orchestra. The every now and again sonic pulsations punctuating symphony amidst nocturnal organisms served analogous to timed primal drumbeat. These tires eyes closed. A noticeably, profoundly, and readily increased fatigue courtesy myopia. This nearsightedness naturally required, nudged, and imposed more effort (plus stress and strain) as this healthy threescore year old corporeal complex edifice aged. Though the following comment a non sequitur, an instantaneous wish to afford lasik surgery (without spectacles vision identified as 20/200) qualifying this garden variety wordsmith for expensive non invasive laser surgery, which Medicare would deem as cosmetic versus lifesaving. Once comfortably numb beneath a light blanket crisp autumn wee hours of next day, the silence (punctuated with gamut of nature's electric light orchestra) waft into bedroom thru open window. Invariably an onset of achingly, blustery, chilly.., temperatures would decree window fan removed and energy efficient airtight one bedroom apartment b44 if that makes any difference. At debut of curmudgeonly old man winter kick starting snowballing effect will designate anniversary regarding our third winter at this residence. Chronological arrival yet undetermined, said near future pluperfect time might also necessitate activating central heat. Whence greensward (housing Highland Manor apartments amidst a postage size swath of nature) becomes snow covered tract will definitely issue decree to shutter tight both reinforced glass pains. Despite fracas regarding global warming, no doubt bitterly cold temperatures produced by forces at large will impose injunction. Enigma i.e. regarding distant rumbling sound never satisfactorily deduced before nodding off to sleep. I experienced what could only be vaguely described as a surreal dream. Once mine body, mind, and immersed within nebulous dreamy state, a distinct (albeit unconscious) awareness recollected unfamiliar out of this world (i.e. alien) sensation. Cilia of me to flinch at lightly ticklish tactile feeling. This would be analogous as bristle of unused paint brush ever so faintly touching skin surface. I immediately thought faint touch most likely could be explained away by fingertips property of spouse. Upon peering at established other side of bed she occupied (resembling masked aquaint cherub, especially donned with CPAP breathing contraption. Said facial appurtenance/paraphernalia scuba diving like gear supposedly minimized risk associated with sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. A CPAP machine uses a hose and mask or nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure. Common problems with
CPAP include a leaky mask, trouble falling asleep, stuffy nose and a dry mouth. Neither her left nor right hand close enough to make contact. While within partial sleep/wake state, an illogical ridiculous notion occurred. Earlier that same day, I while reading weekly issue of The Nation (volume 309, number 7, September 30, 2019) eyes espied an intelligent centipede (yepper every last leg counted at a glance) nonchalantly noiselessly moseyed, inched..., ambled along the wall housing central air conditioning and/or heating. Although I slightly flinched when getting closer look, nothing atypical about critter prolonged initial attention. A magnifying glass lens if accessible would definitely give this scrivener reason to pause, and easily trigger further telltale intrigue. Nonetheless, upon resuming getting engrossed with newsworthy information across this country, no further thoughts distracted my attention. Unsure why such bizarre association arose within fifty shades of hazy, gauzy, or fuzzy gray matter. Darkness invariably always plays havoc with an overactive imagination of mine in tandem when spectacles removed, particularly when getting shut eye. Night blindness in tandem with minus wearing bifocals, which mainly worn to correct severe myopia. Thus while feeling doozy simultaneously between slaking necessary zzz's (times bajillion), yet semi conscious about immediate environment. Though two disparate, distinct phenomena (attuned to hearing and seeing respectively) the former became linkedin with exaggeration scaring the bejesus out of yours truly, especially as eyelids imperceptibly opened up to scary sight that found me slack jawed and panting like a dog.
Foreign forbidding terrestrial realm teemed, prevailed, loomed... with none other than huge
Scutigera coleoptrata. Matter of fact yours truly transformed into same species. My entire body resembled outsize critters. Rather than being human, the former slovenly, paunchy, dumpy... body (I never did accept my disproportionate physique) closely matched yellowish-grey entity of fellow myriapods. Three dark dorsal stripes extended down integument length; multitudinous legs also scored with dark stripes. Synonymous with other compatriot Scutigera coleoptrata, a morphological accouterment developed automimicry, whereat tail-like hind legs presented appearance of antennae. When this Homo sapien sized centipede at rest, I quickly realized, a predator could not easily
distinguish front from my back. Very helpful when confronted with birds and foragers such as hedgehogs, badgers, shrews etc. Yes, quite an adjustment to adapt livingsocial among said unsung heros. New found pals rolled out Harris Tweed Scottish welcome mat within their damp areas awash dwellings. The grand tour given included skittering under leaves, stones, boards, tree bark, or in mulch around outdoor plantings. After a hardy walkabout, yours truly got famished. We feasted on catered buffet comprising spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and other household arthropods. If crunchy, juicy, tasty..., morsels still appeared to exhibit life, they got administered dollop of venom through forcipules. Wow! What delicacies proffered to satiate this famished house centipede! Spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and other household arthropods
tastefully detected prey through antennae. In fact, us centipedes don't even have eyes. I hated to sport bifocals, which lenses constantly became coated with filmy detritus courtesy purportedly (actually gross) fresh air.
A Lady on the Bus
So this is not a work of fiction. It's the true life story of a person I met and the experience I had with her. I'm sharing this so that you can keep this lady in your prayers, as she is struggling. She is a beautiful, amazing soul. But she needs the protection of whatever divinity is out there.
So I was on the bus today, going home from school. As I got on the bus, I noticed a lady who looked like she was sleeping on her seat. No big deal, people get cozy on the bus sometimes, they even close their eyes sometimes, it doesn't necessarily mean they're actually asleep. So I just stand near the back which is where people go if all the seats are occupied.
But eventually the bus stops at a bus stop and I notice a police car stopped in front of us. The driver gets out of the bus and talks to the police. Then a police officer comes and he starts talking to the lady who was resting. Now, I have been the victim of police brutality before. I know wha it's like. This woman is visibly BIPOC, and she looks to be either Latina or Indigenous. She looks poor. She could be having a mental health crisis. I know what police do to people like her. I'm not about to let her get murdered or beaten up or something. So I start filming. I don't say anything, I just take out my phone and start filming.
I know we're on a bus and beside a busy road, so if there is any maltreatment, people will see. But I also know that there are many cases where people got killed on or by a busy road. I've watched a video of a mentally ill man getting gunned down by the police even though he was just standing with his hands up, and this happened right by a busy road full of cars. If anything happens, having video evidence of it will back up and lend credibility to eyewitness accounts. If anything happens, having video evidence of it will make more people believe the truth.
So I film, from a few meters away. The police officer asks her if she has a ticket for the bus. She says no. He demands that she get out of the bus. She refuses at first. But he threatens to take her out by force. Now I will mention that she looks extremely tired and groggy and she doesn't seem to be thinking rationally. The police officer threatens to arrest her, so she gets off the bus. The cop follows her, and I follow the cop, still filming. Outside, the cop threatens to arrest the girl, and asks for her information. He notices me filming and asks if he can help me. I say no, and that I'm just making sure.
The lady seems completely delirious. She can only answer yes or no, and her voice sounds incredibly distressed and emotional. The police officer eventually gets into his car and drives away. And I stop filming but I stay with the lady. She's sitting on a bench and I sit beside her. I ask her if she has any friends or family she can go to. She can't answer my questions in full sentences and just says no in a very panicked voice. I ask her if she wants to go to a homeless shelter, and she says no. I have to talk to her and repeat the same question four or five times to get an answer. The police officer had previously had to ask the same question many times to get an answer as well.
I know I can't leave her like this. She's completely out of it and if she's outside by herself by the time night rolls around, then she might get kidnapped. I've seen too many missing posters around my city, and read too many articles about the MMIGW2S crisis. Not to mention, she doesn't have any warm clothes, she only has a cotton t shirt and slacks, and the nights are very cold where I live. She could straight up die of pneumonia or something if she doesn't find shelter before the night. So I decide to call a homeless shelter anyways and explain my situation. They tell me to call a number and there will be a crisis response team who will come.
So the crisis response team is not part of the police. They don't have weapons. They're social workers who use deescalation tactics and stuff.
So I call the number for the crisis response team. And at this point she's lying down on the bench at the bus stand and I'm sitting on the ground next to her. Which is okay, since she's really tired and I'm not. I get put on hold on the phone, and I stay put on hold for like half an hour. So I'm just sitting here, keeping an eye on the lady, waiting to be connected on the phone to someone I can talk to. And it's pretty tense, but thank the gods the weather is good.
Eventually the call does get through. The lady on the other side of the phone line asks what happened and where I am. So I explain my situation to her. She says she'll send a crisis response team, but they'll take at least half an hour to get there. So that's okay I guess. So I stay with the distressed lady. I don't try to talk to her. I just let her rest. The gods know that she needs her rest. I just want to make sure she doesn't end up kidnapped or the victim of police brutality or a suicide victim or something. I want her to rest in a soft, clean bed inside instead of having to sleep on a hard metal bench outside. But for the time being I just let her rest.
So eventually the crisis support team gets here. They have a car, and they are two ladies. They're really nice. They ask her questions, and she is finally able to talk in full sentences, instead of only saying yes or no. This is a good thing. But the answers she gives still don't make sense. When the crisis response ladies ask her if she's staying with anyone, she says that she's staying with family. But when they ask if she knows the phone numbers of any family members, she replies that she doesn't have any family. When they ask her how she got to where she is now, she replies that she walked. Which I know is not true since I was on the bus with her and I got off said bus with her.
She keeps insisting that she needs to go back to where she was staying, she wants them to take her to where she was staying. She keeps begging to have help so she can go back. But when the ladies ask her what address she needs to go back to, she says she doesn't know. When they ask her if she has anyone's phone number that she could call, she responds that she doesn't know any phone numbers. She sounds incredibly distressed this whole time.
Eventually she says that she was trying to get to a bank, and so they ask her if she might be able to lead them to where she's staying if they start from the bank she was trying to get to. She says that maybe she can. She gets in the car with them and the three ladies drive off. So after this, I stay at the bus stop and I take the next bus home.
So I have no idea what happened to her beyond that. But I do trust the lady at the homeless shelter call line who told me to call the crisis response team. And I do trust the crisis response team because they're not cops, and they're very gentle and kind.
I sincerely hope that she gets the help that she needs and that she enters into a better mental state. I hope she gets back to her home and that she can be safe and comfortable. I hope she receives healthcare and mental healthcare because she clearly needs both. This is coming from someone who clearly needed both at one point too. I was extremely undernourished and suicidal once and going to the hospital kept me from dying. I hope that she gets the help that she needs. I hope that so much with all of my heart.
I am keeping her in my prayers, and I would really appreciate it if you guys could pray for her as well. I hope she can have the blessings of all the gods. I believe in the power of prayer and I believe in the power of love. I believe in the power of kindness, compassion, humility, empathy, and dignity. If you could all pray for her, it would mean an immense amount to me and I would be very grateful.
Grandpa
The truth is often said in jest. That little slice of wisdom come from HG Welles at the end of War of The Worlds!
I recall the night I was telling my visiting grandparents a story from my Boy Scout trip. It was a campfire tell and how much of it is fact I don't know. Anyways, each time I tried to tell it my grandpa would interupt wanting more details: what was his skin color, did he have a gold tooth, things like that.
He was of course doing this to mess with me. But now that I weave a tale now and then I understand how those little details my grandpa demanded to know make the difference.
The ?
There's a word I'd struggled with as a child.
I was writing in the green dappled morning, legs dangling, hair in pigtails, chewing my favorite freshly wood sharpened lead pencil, and was suddenly stuck.
My thinking could not wrap around its sound, vital as it is.
"That's a sight word," and I know! I could hear it and somehow, I couldn't visualize. Mouthing those letters for how the word should be spelled. It was a loud question mark.
Some languages don't have this article. Why?
Old Song That Makes Me Think...
A song recommendation, that will make your blue days bright...
There’s a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don’t have to be afraid
Of what you are
There’s an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
What’s great about this song, unlike many of the songs that are written and released today, is that this song is really UPLIFTING. It has a social conscience, and it’s the perfect song to listen to when you are having a bad day, or just need something to make you feel wonderful!
The lyrics as you can see, convey a message that is both empowering and enabling a sense of self-confidence. The song shows that ANYONE can be a hero regardless of their past, and from a Christian perspective, this is a really lovely song! The core of this song speaks to the listener, encouraging them to believe in themselves.