Earlier tonight, on my way home from meeting my friend Paul at a cafe, I was riding my bike through Cours de l'Intendance, a wide street where tourists and the haut bourgeoisie do their shopping. I whizzed by a trendy young couple (maybe 17?), and the guy was slyly putting on some neon-green sunglasses.
I hesitated for about an instant, then turned my bike around and zipped back to catch up with them. I felt obliged to fill in this unknowing young French man that he was very much in line with the Bay Area uniform, which mandates sunglasses at night, without exception. He was happy to hear it, and told me that California sounds like paradise to the French. I relayed to him that the same fantasies that light up the eyes of the French when they hear about San Francisco spark similar flames in the hearts of many a Californian. Made for a fun, short, spontaneous conversation.
I think I'm forming a habit of short, wonderful interactions with people I never plan on seeing again; in Paris, I had some very deep conversations with complete strangers, and left without exchanging contact info, or sometimes even names. I find an exquisite beauty in leaving the present right where it is without bringing the future into the equation. Emails we never send, phone numbers we never dial, names we never remember: what good does it do anyone? The present is all we've got, and that's just fine with me.
Ben
3 comments:
"i wear my stunna glasses at night, so i can, so i can cooooon"!!!!
cool how you went back to talk to him. we shouldn't pass the opportuniteies to strike up interesting conversations with strangers. : )
LOVE Sunglasses. At night or anytime actually!!
I wonder if people are more or less likely to approach someone with sunglasses on at night. What do you think?
what a great thing you did! i bet he is telling the same story from his POV to his friends!
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