Beautifully written! I’m 65 next month and how I treat these next 15 years is utmost in my mind. I want to spend time in France…there is just something so magical about the way I feel when I’m in Paris. Thank you for the reminders.
Thank you, Sandy! I hope you do come over and spend more time! No matter what age we have (versus we are....another difference in how we talk about things in France), it is important to have as many occasions to enjoy a Bon Temps!
Ohhh, Jane! I so needed to read this today! What a beautifully crafted reflection on time and how it is felt, treasured, and experienced in France. Thank you for sharing this with us! 💚
Wonderful article Jane. Im enjoying your frank and genuine writings about your feelings and life in Paris! Im Italian and live in Milano with my husband and I try to ‘escape’ to my haven, that is Paris every chance I get. I love their joie de vivre which is different to the bella vita in Italia!
I wholeheartedly agree with you that time in France is sacred but the way in which they define it and agree that its all about forging relationships and showing respect and kindness towards the French so they may let their guard down and see your genuinity. I look forward to reading your next article. 👏
Thank you, Rosina for taking the time to read and comment! I love Milano!! My first friend in Paris was actually an Italian girl who lived here. Unlike the French, she took me in immediately and made me feel at home. So even though time was operating differently, it was beautiful in its own way!
When I was younger I had the great good fortune to have taken time to live in France for several wonderful years. Living in and absorbing another culture continues to resonate with me, so I’m mystified by Americans who travel to France and however unconsciously seem to take all their biases from home with them. For instance Americans often seem to believe that French people will be (should be) exactly like Americans and that living in France will be (should be) just like living in the United States. So they go over there and then look around for American restaurants, for example, to eat the food they already know. Makes me have pity for the French, who have to put up with us “demanding” that nothing be different (for us) when we travel to (and/or live in) their country.
So beautifully said! And yes—completely agree that there is a right amount of time for small talk, especially at the start of a business meeting. “How was your weekend,” “What are your summer plans,” and (if you know them well enough) “How are the kids”—all so important. If you try to skip it and dive straight into business, you risk coming off like an insensitive prick… when really, you just thought you were being efficient. (Speaking from experience, ha!)
Exactly! And frankly, with the people I know, there would be no business to discuss if we didn't first have a trusting relationship....Something I appreciate.
I've been thinking about 'time' a lot recently too. Another thing that I think is fascinating about "time" is that it really is just a human construct... The world spins around its axis and travels around the sun, but we have made up this concept of "time" to have a sense that we can control it. I agree with you completely though, it seems like the French often view time more openly and organically than Americans do!
Love this! In a similar vein, I was thinking about this the other day, how in America you “earn” money and “earn” a living, whereas in France/French, *on gagne de l’argent*, *on gagne sa vie*… (you “win” money, you “win” your living). No wonder one’s feeling of self-worth gets tied up with work in the U.S.! I appreciate how in French, it feels a bit more left up to chance, a bit more outside one’s control, a bit more something to just appreciate, something life grants you, rather than something you have to prove yourself worthy of.
Love this reflection Treneer! Isn't it interesting how the nuance of a word - and the inflection of speaking it - can change so much! Same with talking about age...in France it's something you just have, rather than something you are...
Jane, another profound and beautifully written prompt. The topic of time is timely, and how the French experience and prioritize, especially with relationships. As I read this it hit home with me, particular how scheduled one can be (myself) at work and jumping from one meeting to the next, how detrimental that can be for building relationships / helping solve a challenge / advance a project … truly humbling to pause and reflect on the four points you’ve learned about time, and wise reminders of how precious it is and its importance for cultivating relationships and oneself. Thank you, Jane 🩷
Thank you, as always, Marcey, for reading along! Something that once slightly bothered me, because I was trying to rush from place to place, is now something I relish and appreciate. Time does make things softer....
Thank you so much! How we view time is crucial and has a vital effect on our well-being. I love your explanation of Parisian culture… I am learning, and I am about to embark on an extended stay in France. Merci!
You probably know this but I only recently learned that the art installation at Palais Royale is about temporal duality: the difference in clock time and the time we actually experience. I choose door #2.
I love this essay, partly because I'm fascinated with the construct of time. For my final weeks in Paris earlier this spring I decided to focus on finding awe and wonder instead of watching the sand slip through the hourglass, and that's when the magic happened ✨
Beautifully written! I’m 65 next month and how I treat these next 15 years is utmost in my mind. I want to spend time in France…there is just something so magical about the way I feel when I’m in Paris. Thank you for the reminders.
Thank you, Sandy! I hope you do come over and spend more time! No matter what age we have (versus we are....another difference in how we talk about things in France), it is important to have as many occasions to enjoy a Bon Temps!
Ohhh, Jane! I so needed to read this today! What a beautifully crafted reflection on time and how it is felt, treasured, and experienced in France. Thank you for sharing this with us! 💚
Thank you Tricia for reading along - AND for taking time to comment! It means the world ❤️
Wonderful article Jane. Im enjoying your frank and genuine writings about your feelings and life in Paris! Im Italian and live in Milano with my husband and I try to ‘escape’ to my haven, that is Paris every chance I get. I love their joie de vivre which is different to the bella vita in Italia!
I wholeheartedly agree with you that time in France is sacred but the way in which they define it and agree that its all about forging relationships and showing respect and kindness towards the French so they may let their guard down and see your genuinity. I look forward to reading your next article. 👏
Thank you, Rosina for taking the time to read and comment! I love Milano!! My first friend in Paris was actually an Italian girl who lived here. Unlike the French, she took me in immediately and made me feel at home. So even though time was operating differently, it was beautiful in its own way!
When I was younger I had the great good fortune to have taken time to live in France for several wonderful years. Living in and absorbing another culture continues to resonate with me, so I’m mystified by Americans who travel to France and however unconsciously seem to take all their biases from home with them. For instance Americans often seem to believe that French people will be (should be) exactly like Americans and that living in France will be (should be) just like living in the United States. So they go over there and then look around for American restaurants, for example, to eat the food they already know. Makes me have pity for the French, who have to put up with us “demanding” that nothing be different (for us) when we travel to (and/or live in) their country.
Very true….but rest assured, some of my French friends do the same when traveling abroad =)
So beautifully said! And yes—completely agree that there is a right amount of time for small talk, especially at the start of a business meeting. “How was your weekend,” “What are your summer plans,” and (if you know them well enough) “How are the kids”—all so important. If you try to skip it and dive straight into business, you risk coming off like an insensitive prick… when really, you just thought you were being efficient. (Speaking from experience, ha!)
Exactly! And frankly, with the people I know, there would be no business to discuss if we didn't first have a trusting relationship....Something I appreciate.
I've been thinking about 'time' a lot recently too. Another thing that I think is fascinating about "time" is that it really is just a human construct... The world spins around its axis and travels around the sun, but we have made up this concept of "time" to have a sense that we can control it. I agree with you completely though, it seems like the French often view time more openly and organically than Americans do!
Isn't that the truth...somehow we manage to find a way to construct things that end up being cages around us. Lots to learn from the French here.
Love this! In a similar vein, I was thinking about this the other day, how in America you “earn” money and “earn” a living, whereas in France/French, *on gagne de l’argent*, *on gagne sa vie*… (you “win” money, you “win” your living). No wonder one’s feeling of self-worth gets tied up with work in the U.S.! I appreciate how in French, it feels a bit more left up to chance, a bit more outside one’s control, a bit more something to just appreciate, something life grants you, rather than something you have to prove yourself worthy of.
Love this reflection Treneer! Isn't it interesting how the nuance of a word - and the inflection of speaking it - can change so much! Same with talking about age...in France it's something you just have, rather than something you are...
Jane, another profound and beautifully written prompt. The topic of time is timely, and how the French experience and prioritize, especially with relationships. As I read this it hit home with me, particular how scheduled one can be (myself) at work and jumping from one meeting to the next, how detrimental that can be for building relationships / helping solve a challenge / advance a project … truly humbling to pause and reflect on the four points you’ve learned about time, and wise reminders of how precious it is and its importance for cultivating relationships and oneself. Thank you, Jane 🩷
Thank you, as always, Marcey, for reading along! Something that once slightly bothered me, because I was trying to rush from place to place, is now something I relish and appreciate. Time does make things softer....
Time makes everything softer. I’m going to adopt this into practice. Thank you, Jane!
Thank you so much! How we view time is crucial and has a vital effect on our well-being. I love your explanation of Parisian culture… I am learning, and I am about to embark on an extended stay in France. Merci!
You probably know this but I only recently learned that the art installation at Palais Royale is about temporal duality: the difference in clock time and the time we actually experience. I choose door #2.
I love this essay, partly because I'm fascinated with the construct of time. For my final weeks in Paris earlier this spring I decided to focus on finding awe and wonder instead of watching the sand slip through the hourglass, and that's when the magic happened ✨