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player ready...The normally bustling, high-energy city of Paris might be reeling from disaster, but its people appear to remain committed to living their lives with as much joy and celebration as possible, says a Schererville man currently there on vacation.
The city has been closed since a series of near-simultaneous attacks in some of that city’s most populous areas Friday evening, Bob Morris said through private message over social media Sunday morning. But though the tragedy still hangs heavy — French President Francois Hollande decreed a three-day mourning period for the country — Morris said he hasn’t felt a shift to suspicion and hate.
A split-second decision by Morris and his girlfriend, Gloria Irwin, kept them out of harm’s way Friday evening. Morris, a Munster native and former infielder in the Chicago Cubs organization, said he’d been suggesting to Irwin that they absolutely had to catch the soccer game between France and Germany during their trip as they were planning it. It was the first time either of them have been to Paris, so he wanted the two of them to experience as much as they could.
When Friday came, the two were so enraptured by the sights that they decided not to go.
“The city was absolutely magical, and there’s an amazing energy given off by the French people,” he said.
As they were out, Morris said Irwin thought she’d heard fireworks at one point, but neither really gave it much thought. In fact, they were blissfully unaware of the devastation until they returned to their Montmartre hotel, which is south of the Stade de France.
“We had no idea what was going on until we saw it on television,” he said. “It started off just as a drive-by shooting taking place in France, and then more information obviously started pouring in.”
As the enormity of the situation sunk in for the two, Irwin’s first instinct was to make sure her children and family knew they were safe, Morris said. His feelings, on the other hand, were more protective.
“I felt a natural defiance toward the terrorism and a bond with the French people,” he said. “With that mentality, we haven’t let this affect our trip for the most part.”
“I think people are just trying to make sense of it all at this point,” Morris, said.
Morris said he and Irwin spent most of Friday in the Louvre, but now, the rest of the city’s attractions — including the famous cabaret, Moulin Rouge — are closed as the country mourns. As well, many of the restaurants and bars are either closed or sparsely filled.
But while the attacks clearly left memories they neither considered they’d have nor wanted, they’ll take with them the joie de vivre and diversity of its people. Especially notable is the fact that no one seems to have rushed to condemn parts of the population for the acts of a few.
“Paris is a highly diversified community, and there is a large Muslim population. But from what I can tell, there is wide acceptance of this diversity with the Paris people, and I haven’t seen anything after the incident that has led me to believe that it’s changed.
“Frankly, it would be tragic if it did change. This is truly one of the great cities and cultures of the world.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.