Marcel Proust and the power of Déjà vu
Hello everyone!
I know I said yesterday that you can expect some of the DIY posts from me in the future, but first, I'm gonna start with something more abstract, more artistic and more personal, I guess.
Back in my high school days, I remember reading and analyzing Combray by Marcel Proust and I especially remember the part where he remembers the past after he drinks tea and eats a cookie (or was it cookies? I don't really remember, it was a long time ago...). I remember that there were two main questions stuck in my head while analyzing Combray: the first one was ,"What the fuck am I reading?", and the second one was "What the fuck is he writing about?" I guess I was too young to read it (but I had to because my literature teacher told me to) and there was no way for me to understand the piece nor to relate to it.
Seven or eight years after reading it, something happened that made me understand the piece and relate to it. Oh, boy, did I learn!
I was in Paris twice; once on my high school trip (and that was in 2009) and the second time was last spring, when I attended one conference for antenna enginners (it's called EuCAP if you're that interested in the name).
So, when I was in Paris that second time, one day I went to the nearest metro station. Inside, there was some guy in a black raincoat, standing and telling people where to go to get to their desired destinations (of course, if you asked him to). I also took the opportunity to check with him where should I go and he really did help me. But after he helped me, he stopped me and told me something like: "Hey, you know, I don't work here. I just come here and help people. So, can you please give me some change? You know how it is: wife, kids and I don't work." And since he really did help me, I decided to give him a Euro or two. Unfortunately, I had only 20 or 30 cents in my wallet, so I gave it all to him and apologized because I can't give him more. To say that he was disappointed would be an understatement. He looked the money I gave him, he made some funny face and said: "Meeeeeh... But OK. Thanks anyway." Although his reaction may have been a bit rude, I found it funny at the time. I apologized to him once more and I went where I was going in the first place.
But somehow, I had the feeling stuck in my head, the feeling that was telling me I've seen this before, or maybe even experienced it myself. So I spent all that day thinking about the guy in the metro station and his reaction to his disappointing plunder. And before my bedtime that night, it occured to me! I met the same guy eight years ago, when I was in Paris for the first time! And he was also wearing a black raincoat and giving people directions on the same place, and even then I asked him for the directions, and I also didn't have more than 50 cents in my wallet, and he had the same "Meeeh" reaction back then! And all of a sudden, it was like I was eight years younger, and I felt like I was there on my high school trip, and it was like I was living my past all over again!
So, thank you, you unknown man with a black raincoat for indirectly teaching me the value of Combray and the value of the memories and remembering the good ol' times! And you taught me that in Paris, too - Marcel Proust's home turf (the guy was a real Parisien; born, lived and died there) and the best place for me to learn this lesson!
That's it from me for today. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Take care and see you soon! I'll be back.
Pero
P.S. What's that you ask? Why the "thug life" sunglasses and the kitty cat? Well, because I remembered the scene from the Matrix when Neo saw the cat two times in a few seconds, after what he said "Déjà vu" (afterwards all hell broke lose, but that's another story). And also, kitty cats and thug life sunglasses attract attention, and I guess they did do the job, didn't they? :)