"Keep It Simple"

Written By: Shelly Travis

Edited By: Shelly Travis

Harriet Welty Rochefort kicked off our week of sessions speaking about “The Uniqueness of French Cluture”. She compared the cultural differences of the French and Americans. Mrs. Rochefort is a speaker, freelance journalist, former professor of journalism, longtime resident of France and author of “French Toast”, “French Fried” and her lastest “Joie De Vivre”. Mrs. Rochefort was born in America and has now resided in France for 40 years.

One thing that Mrs. Rochefort said that really stuck with me was, “ As Americans we believe in more the merrier, but the French find pleasure in the small things.” This caused me to pose the question to myself, “What do I hold on to in my life that I don’t need, from materialistic to emotional.” I thought about as Americans wanting the biggest portions, or buying in excessiveness, even if we do not need it right now. We don’t typically just buy for right now, we think “ Oh I may need this next year, I’ll go on and get it since it’s on sale.”

I have made a promise to myself to live a simpler life. While in Paris, I felt unrestricted; I could be who I was. There was literally nothing I had to worry about. I didn’t have to worry about driving somewhere, getting gas nor the thought of finding a parking space. I could just go. It was refreshing to “do life” differently for a week. I could get dressed, pick up a light breakfast on my walk to my destination and be done. It’s a healthier and simpler lifestyle. I as well found walking as a stress reliever, when I was feeling overwhelmed or antsy the walk helped me assess and move on. Traveling to Paris was to a degree “therapy & clarity” that I needed to realize what I need to let go and do differently in my life. I realized I am capable of much more and that it’s time to let go of all that is weighing me down and soar to a higher.