{"id":8303,"date":"2017-07-06T18:01:40","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T01:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/daviddilworth.com\/pol\/?p=8303"},"modified":"2026-03-19T13:53:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:53:30","slug":"a-french-toast-to-serendipitous-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daviddilworth.com\/pol\/a-french-toast-to-serendipitous-living\/","title":{"rendered":"A French Toast to Serendipitous Living"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Eiffel

Eiffel Tower<\/strong> – Courtesy Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

Some years ago, a splendid, incisive article about the French culture appeared in a coffee table magazine written by an American woman<\/strong> who’d lived in Paris<\/strong> for 20 years or so, having married a Parisian and raised children there.<\/p>\n

Having lived in Europe<\/strong> myself,\u00a0including a couple dozen moons in many marvelous regions of France, and having the pleasure of meeting dozens upon dozens of fabulous French folk in their native habitat, I was rather eager to learn of her far more experienced wisdom on it.<\/p>\n

With sharp insight, she addressed the American misunderstanding that the French are rude to Americans.\u00a0Roughly, (wish I could quote the article exactly, but it is filed inscrutably away in some folder in storage) she explained:<\/p>\n

The French are kind to people they know and rude to strangers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While Americans are kind to strangers and rude to people they know.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Her marvelous succinct<\/strong>\u00a0and accurate summary was a bulls-eye; a home-run.<\/strong> It mirrored my experience in France<\/strong> – and the US<\/strong> of A. She had beautifully illuminated the vast distinction between the two cultures in how they treat those familiar to them versus strangers.<\/p>\n

Like other quotes of wisdom, her concept burned into my memory as insightful and reasonably accurate – a useful generality. This is even though I\u2019ve yet to visit Paris<\/strong>. (My friends will tell you I\u2019m not easily confused with a City enthusiast.)<\/p>\n

And so.<\/p>\n

With the passing of some years and many events I found myself at a book signing in the astoundingly wonderful <\/strong>Thunderbird bookshop and cafe<\/strong> in my hometown of Carmel<\/a>, California. While listening to the author of a new book, I was reminded of that article.<\/p>\n

As the long line of fans subsided, the glorious Bookshop operator May Waldroup<\/strong> introduced me to the author, Harriet Welty Rochefort<\/a><\/strong>. I soon rather eagerly mentioned how her talk that afternoon reminded me of that article and the ideas that were burned into my mind.<\/p>\n

To my slack-jawed astonishment she smilingly\u00a0replied \u201cThat was my\u00a0<\/strong>article<\/strong>.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Harriet

Harriet Welty Rochefort, en Paris, of course (from her book cover)<\/p><\/div>\n

Many times since I\u2019ve enjoyed telling that story, along with other vignettes of my youthful sojourn to Europe<\/strong> and foray into\u00a0French culture. One facet many enjoyed was how I worked my passage to Europe\u00a0across the Atlantic on a cattle boat to Cadiz in 1975. (350 dairy cows.)<\/p>\n

Many more years along,<\/strong> my life calmed down enough to actually peruse the author\u2019s book \u201cFrench Toast<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can you imagine my astonishment and delight when I read on the book\u2019s back cover \u2013 that the author Harriet, first arrived in Europe on a freighter \u2013 to Cadiz !<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What semi-elegant serendipity !<\/p>\n

It gets even better. Her book harmonizes so many times with my own neophyte French\/Belgian experiences. That would include me as a starving traveler loading up on the first course of a Belgian meal \u2013 only to slowly discover – there are 4 to 6 more courses to come !<\/p>\n

What a joy \/ relief to find I am not the only one making goofy mistakes.<\/p>\n

Somehow I feel this woman, this terrifically insightful, interesting and cheery woman<\/strong> (friends describe us both as overwhelmingly or perpetually \u201centhusiastic<\/strong>\u201d) and I are destined to meet again in our sometimes startlingly parallel lives. (and not merely because we both enjoy Squid.)<\/p>\n

For you who wish to gain further valuable insight to the French (and maybe Americans as well) here is Harriet’s, and her perfectly Parisian husband\u2019s, beautifully captivating website<\/a>. Go Harriet !<\/p>\n

PS Harriet\u2019s writing is so familiar and comforting for me, however like icing on a cake,\u00a0her husband\u2019s poignant wit adds a hilarious reason to take the time to enjoy\u00a0\u201cFrench Toast<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

And here’s one place you can get her fun book —<\/p>\n