epa05023768 Police officers arrive at the scene of a shooting in Paris, France, 13 November 2015. A shooting occurred in a restaurant late 13 November in Paris, with newspaper Liberation reporting several dead. Explosions have also been reported near the Stade de France. (YOAN VALAT/EPA/CP)

“Friday the 13th” November 2015, will be edged in stone, one of the ‘worst’ days in Paris, France history. Paris is still one of, if ‘not’ THE most popular cities on the planet! It is still the ‘City of lights’ and still, the ‘city; where the French really know how to live’ compared to any other city on the globe. Yet, even still, I can’t fathom any of these ‘metaphors’ changing about this wonderful city, yet….something will change. It must change. ‘Life’ as for how Paris ‘knows it once was’, is no longer.

In the days after the attacks, of course, people are coming together. They come in ‘numbers’. Like that old saying; “Safety in numbers”. Holding signs that say: “we are not afraid” – but of course, they are,…afraid. I wasn’t even there when all this happened, but I know Paris well enough, that the way ‘life once was’, is now gone for good. Sadly, like how the USA reacted after the attacks of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  Yet, still…Paris, I know holds something that the USA never had after the attacks of 9/11. That is; the ‘stigma’ of this, still being…….Paris, France!

‘City of lights’, the ‘City of Love’, whatever you want to consider it, it will still hold it’s ‘flavor’ of that certain “Je ne sais quoi”. It’s ‘this’ fact, that can make Paris, different than New York City, even after such a terrible event. As long as, Francois Hollande and France go about their next step in the proper way. Unlike USA after 9/11, where GWB at the time, decided that in order to have ‘safety’ in time of insecurity, freedoms, and privacy had to be erased, and Americans are still paying for this ‘insecurity’ and ‘no privacy’ today. France needs to in one sense ‘come together’ as a ‘power in numbers’ with one ‘goal’, while ‘not’ separating another group in the process: Islam and Muslims.  This will be a balancing act, that France will have to come to grips with, on a personal level that they have yet to really deal with. And with any luck, they will do it ‘unlike’ how the United States did it – yet, still able to keep that certain “Je ne sais quoi”, that Paris, France is so well known for.

Le “Joie de Vie”, also known as ‘the joy of life’, is an old expression how France and Paris, specifically has always been known by to many. I think it can still be this place, but with a ‘new way’ of “going about life”. Just as how way back when, when Paris was changing its laws about ‘doing less work’ and having ‘more life’ they did all sorts of changes pertaining to the retirement age and when one can start receiving pensions and so forth. Well, little did they realize back then, what a ‘simple topic’ that really was, to what they are now forced to stare into and deal with. This new ‘life and death matter’ of ones ‘future’ head on, known thru out the world as Terrorism. It is a new day and age, but I think and hope that Paris, France will do it unlike how the USA has.  If the ‘American political TV shows’ are correct, then France, will eventually lose all that ‘flare’ that it has been known for, and will no longer be that ‘Joie de vie’ country on the planet known as; Paris, France. Yes, already the American TV Shows are saying how France must ‘forget about Privacy’ and ‘make watch lists and privately investigate people’ and make everyone be ‘suspicious of the person next to them’ etc… Oh, how I pray that France does not do that. It will ruin all that this amazing country has stood for all this time.

To go on about one’s life, while ‘still being aware of your surroundings’, is one way the laymen person can play one tiny role in this ‘new age’ on “Terror”.  Like with any tragic event: it is ok to remember, but ‘not’ ok to needlessly worry, or fear. It is ok to be angry, but ‘not’ to “take it out” on another. It is ok to ‘help others’ with anything in life, but ‘not’ to use it against them in the future.  For like all tragic events and terrible atrocities like this, the most important thing is to ‘learn’ from this event. As for me personally; I think of Palestine and Gaza. They ‘live’ in “terror” all the time, every day.  Almost every day, someone dies from some kind of injustice. Yes, of course, it is ‘not’ fair – but like the other old saying; “who said life was fair”? It’s not. It never is. But, let’s use this ‘terrible incident’ as a way to ‘think of others’ who may have it worse. While at the same time think of others, who have lost someone or something imperative to their own life…whether in this incident or something else.  Remember; in life, ‘loss of life and pain that comes with it’ is ‘not’ only Palestinian, or American, or French,…..it’s everyone. It’s like that other saying: “No man, is an island”. Lets ‘not’ forget this, nor forget ‘who’ we all are, and most importantly, lets ‘not’ forget that Paris, France can still be that “Joie de Vie”…