Saturday, 14 July 2018

Day 102: 14th of July

Today was the 14th of July (Bastille Day for my Non French readers).  2 things happen on that day in Paris.  There is a military parade in the morning and a fireworks display in the evening.  Although the parade took place round the corner from our apartment I did not feel the need to go and watch.  As you may have gathered I'm not a big fan of armed force and I really cannot see what a display of military hardware has to do with the revolution and its slogan of liberté-égalité-fraternité.  A big banquet on the Champs Elysée would be a more interesting way of celebrating.

For the evening fireworks Fianna and I decided to avoid the main crowds and watch it from a café on the Place de l'Alma.  We left a bit too late so we ended up standing most of the time along with thousands of other people.  What I don't understand is that when the fireworks start all these people proceed to take out their smartphones in order to film lots of heads and some blurry exploding lights in the background.  If you are going to watch the fireworks through your screen why not just stay home and watch it on TV? The picture is much better.  It seems that nowadays nothing can be enjoyed in the moment just as it is.  Everything needs to be shared not with the people who are there with you but with those who aren't.  I'm not sure that this constant sharing of photographic moments is really sharing.  I believe social media is actually disconnecting us from the here and now.  Things only exist in other people's eyes...

It's never too late to close your Facebook account.

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