Signs of life

In some fearful circumstances, doctors will look for your vital signs. In the current state of the world there are other signs of life  and “bons mots,” as  the French would say.

In France, the body that caretook, if that’s caretake in the past tense, is the Academie Francaise, but sadly it can no longer stop inscursions into the language of subtlety and diplomacy that was once so jealously guarded.

For a long time we’ve had “le weekend.”  Now we’ve got “les superprofits des petroliers” and “le burn-out” and even binge watching of supercool movies. ( J’ai binge watche’ un film vintage qui e’tait supercool.” 

But the one I like best is “le boomerang.” That is what happens if you mess with Putin – he flies right back into your face.

The French love wine. So do I. This South African bottle has an interesting warning sign at the bottom end of the label.  Presumably you already decided not to drink it all at once and then drive your car.   The great French author, poet, philosopher and Nobel Laureate Albert Camus had this the say:

“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. In the midst of winter I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” 

 So, it seems, all is not lost.

 Other signs of life.