leafblower

One of my favorite qualities about French people are their strong personalities, the mentality of “c’est pas grave” – no worries, it’s not that serious.

Despite any level of humiliation, the French person is unphased, rarely embarrassed. They will not allow themselves to be inconvenienced. They know themselves well, and they know how to take care of themselves, first and foremost. Something I hugely admire.

Now and again, however, it’s good for a great laugh.

I was biking home after class the other day, and a huge car-sized leafblower was rolling down the street in the opposite direction, blowing leaves out of the street and onto the sidewalk. Already kind of a funny concept. Well, leafblowers in general are kind of a funny concept. Lots of energy on part of the person and the machine just to move a few leaves – and if the wind picks up, it’s back to square one.

The moment I looked over, the guy driving the machine had a very subtle smirk on his face. Just on the other side of him, chatting peacefully on a bench, were two young women who now found themselves in the middle of a leafy cyclone.

The girls wrapped their arms around their hair, glanced behind them, squinted through the now-poor weather to view the culprit, and responded with an apparent chuckle, roll of the eyes, and turned away again to wait it out. They weren't inconvenienced nor embarassed. Whatever, it'll pass.

As soon as he passed, it was back to business as usual.

I laughed uncontrollably halfway home.

Small things. Life. Small things.