Little did I know, last Friday, what was about to happen in Paris that night of the 13th…
I have been trying for most of the week -with difficulty most of the times- to come back to a sense of normality after the tragic events.
Today, I face a blank mind, and can’t think of anything better to do than open a bottle of wine and share it with friends, or maybe have a beer down the stairs from my place in the 12th Arrondissement of Paris, at that new place Bar & Beer, and just celebrate the fact that I am alive!
A week ago, many people died, just because brainless animals decided it had to be that way, just having a drink at a terrace, or listening to some rock’n’roll!
Still standing!
What I would like to share today, is a short story of humanity, here it is :
One of my work colleagues received a nice present today (a wine magnum), along with the following letter, sent by a wine producer :
Dear partners,
We were in Paris last weekend, and, as you all did, suffered from these tragic events.
Memories of the « Action Directe » (a terrorist group responsible for many attacks in France between the 70’s and 90’s) trial came to my mind : at the time I owned a small restaurant Place Dauphine, and the police had blocked the Palais de Justice nearby, almost destroying my business.
After an agitated night of reflection, we wondered how we could help our partners in such complicated times.
Perhaps by letting the restaurant owners we work with differ their payments to us? some of them surely will be affected by the economic consequences of a drop in attendance.
We know that most of know will keep on going out, will keep hanging on together, so we thought the best thing we could do to help was to share a bottle of wine with you. Today, and at our level, there is no better way to fight back alongside with you.
Our message is clear : keep hanging on, and may the magnum we are sending you be shared with friends and customers, drink to life and the freedom to be who you want to be, and to all the values of our Republic.
A la vôtre, A la notre à tous.
