It was exactly two months since I left France, and I had no intentions of writing about my own experiences in the South of France since then. However, the tragedies that happened in Nice, only a few hours ago, have changed my mind. I will never say I am an expert in French history or culture, I will always admit I am a full star bangled banner American, but I will never forget the place I called home for several months. I keep watching the news reports, thinking it is still an illusion in my mind. I lived two hours away. I was there. I was in a car on the same road. I was probably within feet from where people would take their last breaths. I would have never imagined that I would be home, watching my part of France having a tremendous tragedy. None of this was ever my plan when I arrived back in the United States.
I frankly do not care what your beliefs are on violence whether it is in the US or internationally. All I ask is for it to stop. There is no reason why innocent people are tragically dying on a weekly basis. One of the most profound lessons I learned while I was studying in France, was what it meant to be “French”. It is not just a nationality, it is a lifestyle, it is a culture you would defend till your last days. Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, equality, fraternity) The motto of the French Republic, and these three words run through the veins of every citizen. It is not just a right to uphold these values, it is a duty; a duty that enables you to be called French. I have a profound amount of respect French have for their own people, history, and culture. I truly think it is something Americans can improve on. Taking pride in your own country is more than just being able to spit out baseball stats on a sunny afternoon. You need to know your geography, leaders, landmarks, artists, activists, and a countless amount of other figures and their opinions to fully know who and what you are representing each day you call yourself an American. Because it is your duty as an American to carry their stories and change areas that need to be improved to better the lives of future Americans. As far as I am concerned, Bastille Day is a day that should be remembered as a beginning of liberty and freedom to all. But how can liberty still stand when there are too many lives lost?
My heart goes out to all the friends and family members who have lost loved ones. I will always have the South of France close to my heart. I do not look at this as an unfortunate tragedy, but it is an attack on a part of my home. A region that taught me so many valuable lessons to carry into my adulthood. I know France is a strong-willed nation and their lives will not go in vain. The color in Nice should never come from bloodstained paths but from the color of an artist’s paintbrush. The great artists, Matisse and Chagall called Nice home and their impact still lasts today. You will impact a countless amount of people in your lifetime from your own family members to the random person you say “hello” to on a morning jog. All I can say is make it a good one. There needs to be more goodness in society. I long for the day when the word “terror” will not be used daily.