crazy, redux

I'm watching Breakfast at Tiffany's for the first time tonight, which of course reminds me of my lovely time in Manhattan oh so forever ago now, which in turn reminds me of the other things I meant to say in this morning's post. 

I know those of you who've been around a while have already heard/read this story, but indulge me just one more time, there's newness at the end: one of my favourite memories of my time in the Big Apple was standing in the MOMA soaking up an exhibition of the Brontë sisters embroidery (seriously), when a lovely, if petite,  man spoke earnestly to me in French. I apologized and said I only speak English, and through the course of a few sentences he proposed marriage and invited me to return with him to live in Paris where he was a diplomat for his homeland (I can never remember if it was Mauritania or Chad or ... well, it was some former French colony in Africa) and I blushed and declined and allowed him to kiss me gallantly on the hand and cheeks ... 

I thought of him again this morning, reflecting back on the Oprah couple. And as I sat at China Beach today I wondered, what would life be like if I'd thought then that someone could just say yes and make something work because they said it would. 

Of course it couldn't really have happened. I had the BBs and their dad wasn't about to say 'hell ya, take them to Paris to live with strangers' (partly because he didn't swear much, and partly because we were already fighting for custody) and well, there's crazy and then there's crazy. But what if I'd at least had dinner with him? What if we'd stayed in touch? What if when things were settled and I had my MA in hand I'd gone there instead of here? It's fun to think about. To speculate on those roads not traveled. I'd have made a great diplomat's wife. Or a great diplomat. Maybe I still will, what with not being dead yet and all. 

But that's not the point. It's just, that we never know how things are going to go until we say so. And also, I still love New York ... I need to get back there. Soon would be good. Sooner would be even better.