Soaking in the Rue Royale in Paris

While sight-seeing on the elegant Rue Royale in Paris, a short street lined with high-end stores (think Chanel, Gucci, and Dior), creamy classical French architecture gleaming in the summer sun, the Place de la Concorde visible at one end of the street, the Place de la Madeleine at the other, I had to pinch myself to believe I stood in the middle of such history and magnificence.  

Amazed and dazed I drank it in. Wrought iron balconies, arched doorways, gilded shop names on sparkling glass doors, exquisite ornamentation everywhere. In my hand was a green Ladurée bag containing the store's specialty macarons in various colors. Delight! At the pristine glass counter I had ordered the sandwich cookies in French, which always makes me happy. To be understood! To understand! In French!  

Rue Royale is elegance itself. Every bit of it.

As my family and I stood waiting for our ride to pick us up on Rue Royale, I noticed tourists with their eyes on their phones as they walked past gorgeous window displays, lush flowers and trees, artful street lights, everything. 

"Look up!" I wanted to shout. "You are in the most beautfiul city in the world and you are missing it!"

I felt terribly sad. Sad that social media and immediate gratification evaporates evocative experiences for all of us. They steal our attention, our time, even our joy and often we are completely oblivious to this high-tech mugging. 

Then and there, Paris gave me a lesson I needed just as much as anyone else. 

"Be in command of your time. Be in command of your attention. Be in command of your life."

"Participate. Pay attention. Pursue delayed gratification." 

This lesson stays with me. My life is richer for it.

Thank you, Paris!