"Time can bring you down,
Time can bend your knees...
A broken heart. Tears. An immediate mental transport back to 9/11. The horror. The blatant disregard for human life. The terror. The senselessness. All the same feelings came flooding back. But this time it wasn't New York City. It was Paris. The City of Love. The City of Light. Ironic that it was anything BUT, for a few panic-filled hours.
"Paris"
(From atop the Arc de Triomph")
...Time can break your heart,
Have you begging please, begging please.
And yet again, I am glued to the television or the radio. Trying to glean all the info I can, watching the different scenes unfold, trying to make sense out of the senseless. How one minute life is normal. Sitting at a cafe', walking the city streets, attending a concert. And the next minute? It's over. A sense of security and safety evaporated into the air. All thru the design of individuals who decided to "play God" with our lives...yet again. I REALLY have a hard time understanding. Truth? That is probably is a good thing.
"Tears'"
Paris, France
Paris. A city certainly with it's own mystique and identity. I've been lucky to experience all that beautiful city has to offer twice. I hadn't let the Better-Half in on my plan yet...but I'd been researching a return to the City of Lights with a foray to Normandy afterwards. Yep, that's how ALL our vacations are born. But those plans evaporated along with my sense of security and safety last week.
"la tour Eiffel"
Paris, France
"Phoenix Rising"
Paris, France
I despise being told what to do. My family would tell you that is an understatement. But truth-be-told...I just don't believe it is safe to travel for the time being. Last week that realization became crystal clear for me. I feel I have been thrown into a world of uncertainty. Maybe even chaos. So I have stopped googling flight information, hotel reviews, and sample itineraries. For now at least. What happened in Paris, told me what to do...and what not to do. With the caveat of, "for the time being". And I hate that evil has dictated what I feel comfortable in doing, and not doing for the moment. Some may say this is living life in fear. There is an element of truth to that. But I also see it as living life making smart choices. It's weighing risks vs. benefits. For me? Right now the risks are greater than the benefits.
"A Watchful Eye"
(taken from atop Notre Dame Cathedral)
Paris, France
"The Louvre"
Paris, France
...Beyond the door there 's peace I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more tears in Heaven."
-Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)
In the meantime, my heart will continue to break not just for Paris. But for all of us. And the world we are living in. And there will tears too.
Je t'aime Paris. My thoughts and prayers are with you. And I WILL return...someday soon I hope!
Je t'aime Paris. My thoughts and prayers are with you. And I WILL return...someday soon I hope!
**********
Welcome back to another edition of Song-ography. Where the rules are pretty simple:
Song/Lyrics + Photo(s) = Song-ography
I want to thank everyone who stops by, comments, and links up a post. I urge everyone to take a fw minutes to visit some of the other Song-ographers. I am always inspired when I do so, and sometimes I get some great ideas for future songs I would like to use. I also would like to say that I appreciate all those who link-up with posts that keep in the spirit of the purpose of Song-ography. I look forward to stopping by and seeing whatcha' all have been up to!
(Join me on Tuesdays for Song-ography. Click on photo for a full description)
I've never had the opportunity to visit Paris and it's on my bucket list, but sadly now I fear visiting this beautiful city. It makes me mad that these sick people have instilled fear in me and many other people. For Now I can only enjoy Paris through beautiful pictures like the ones you have shared. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJust a beautiful tribute!
ReplyDeleteI love Paris and I will never fear visiting it or New York City. Such is life.
ReplyDeleteLovely tribute.
I read a take on the terrorist behind all the recent attacks including the downed Russian airliner, Baghdad and others. It seems this is a group attempting to take the world back to the original ways of defeating persons and systems not following the exact rules of the Koran as they interpret it. One acceptable way to stay alive is pay a specific type of tax. but the big thing that stood out to me in the piece was the desire to bring about the apocalypse. This is the address of the site I reference: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures of a wonderful place. I was in Paris last week enjoying the streets, laughing and feeling so part of a great European city. I will go again and again especially since my daughter decided to go to university there. I did return to New York after 9/11. It is sad to see fear and xenophobia spreading all over the world. What has happened to humanity?
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty city. My heart breaks for it.
ReplyDeleteVery timely!
ReplyDeleteSo sad - my post was written pre Paris, we were just having fun at a rock concert, like those in Paris... Everyone of your photos are just amazing :)
ReplyDeleteLove Wren x
This weighs so heavy on my heart! It makes me worry about what my grandchildren will have to endure in this cruel world Beautiful tribute to Paris...thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post Kathy. Your words and as always your pictures are perfect. My heart is also broken for the beautiful people of Paris.
ReplyDeleteIt is all so terrible sad, the actions of an extreme few have such a devastating impact on everyone's life.
ReplyDeleteMollyxxx
What a wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Wonderfull post ,greeting from Belgium In Mons .
ReplyDeleteBlog Mons city: http://louisette.eklablog.com
A beautiful tribute to a beautiful city. I visited Paris for the first time in August.
ReplyDeleteI tried. I really did. {to put up a post on Monday. Then again on Tuesday} I was mulling over ideas Monday night for Song-ography then I saw this post. And just lost it. Again. Your photos are just beautiful, capturing both the grand scale of this amazing place and the little details that were my everyday life for so many years. I mean...it just takes the sight of those cafe chairs and I'm transported. Sigh. Still trying to write out some of my thoughts...maybe by tomorrow?? Hugs.
ReplyDeleteFantastic pictures of Paris.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute to the city we both love... your photos speak loud and clear. I'm sorry you had to abandon plans on traveling to France. Hopefully (soon) you'll be able to pick up where you left off. But I fully understand, safety first. always. Take care and thank you so much for your kind words and thoughts - xo
ReplyDeleteso very behind on commenting on blogs this week - I had that same sense of helplessness as with 911. We are booked to travel to Paris in the Spring - something my husband has planned and researched for the past year or so. I refuse to succumb to fear which is exactly what the terrorists want - but I must confess it gives me pause.
ReplyDelete