Facts of life
On a train to Brittany, I tried to sleep a little. But schools boys invaded the coach, shouting, so happy to be going for a week on an island! What an adventure! On the platform, parents slightly worried: there is a storm warning! The children already busy with their games do not hear their farewells.
Having given up to sleep, I thought I could still work. I was forgetting that these young ones were watching me and were whispering about me. One of them, to make sure, asks me: "Is it you that we saw on TV?" It was just enough to start a conversation.
One of their accompanying professors offered me a coffee at the bar. But the young ones, like birds, came around us. They did their preferred pastime: imitating their professors, mostly the one they did not like. I said to them: " She knows that you don't like her" " Sure because she says it" " Do you manage to make her more lovable?" " Impossible, she cannot change" After such a conclusion, they went on to another subject: " Can we get your autograph?" A session of signatures took place for me. The accompanying professor had the last word: " When we get back from our trip, we will give you some news on the web site of Partenia"
Sowing the seed
Somewhere around Stuttgart, 16-18 year old young ones pile up in the great assembly room of the high school for a face to face with me. The silence is impressive not less than the way they are listening. I find them very young. By looking around at them, I am convinced they are witty.
A lot of questions about freedom, this fragile flower that they try to gather and keep. They want to be free and abolish barriers, all the barriers that separate and enclose. But they don't want loud speakers telling them what to do. They are sensitive to personal experience.
It is a pleasure to spend time with them. We understand each other. I
regret to leave. I will probably never meet them again. They will carry
on. But a seed has been given out. It will grow and give fruit. But that
does not belong to me. The important thing is to sow and go our way.
Farmers having problems
Associations for the defense of the farmers, including the Farmers Confederation invited me to discuss with them in a village of Morbihan in Brittany.
Farms disappear one after the other, almost silently, as the tiles of an abandoned house. With them, shops and handy crafts followed the same fate.
After their bankrupt Farmers find themselves jobless, without health care and often without professional future, sometimes facing alcoholism, divorce or suicide. The outlook is dim. Probably reaching rock bottom is necessary to get new energies and hope. It has happened that day. I found among these 400 people attending the meeting, a common action: a reject of fatality, an organization of solidarity, a strong feeling to fight the mondialisation of finance. " When we struggle together, said one of the participants, we can win" Hope was there.