I was going through some pictures I took while in Paris and came across a few which brought a smile to my face and reminded me of the importance of having a good attitude in a bad situation.  The pictures were taken on a warm Sunday afternoon when I met up with Oneika, a great blogger and friend and a few other travelers that she knew.  It was a sunny day so we decided to find a crêperie where we could sit outside and enjoy some good food and drink.  We selected a mid-sized cafe on a narrow but bustling street in the Latin Quarter and settled in to a set of tables set out along the sidewalk under an awning.

A little Sunday afternoon Crepe break

Soaking up Paris Cafe Culture with a new group of friends

The Latin Quarter is always quite busy with tourists and locals strolling through the streets and people watching.  As the 4 Canadians and I, the sole American, sat eating and discussing life in Paris, a 4-piece band decided to set up just next to the restaurant and began playing.  Now if you have ever been to the more touristy areas of Paris, you know that you are never far from a street musician.  Whether its an amped accordion player who gets on the Metro to “entertain” the commuters or a struggling violinist busking at a street corner, live music always awaits.

With all the hustle and bustle on the street that day, we hardly even noticed the band…they were more like pleasant background music to our lively conversation.  That is they were hardly noticed until suddenly some of us were splashed with cold water.  Apparently a neighbor in the apartments above did not appreciate the live musicians and decided to throw a bucket of water on them from their second on third story window.  My friends and I were mostly spared by the awning that covered our table, but the musicians were drenched.

While I may not appreciate all of the musicians that make their way through the crowded streets of Paris, dumping water on them is ridiculously rude. As my friend said about the offensive resident: “What do you expect when you live in one of the most touristy streets of the Paris?…of course there’s going to be noise and music.”  If you want peace and quiet, move to the suburbs.

But the musicians were not going to let the grumpy neighbor get the best of them, they picked up their instruments, moved directly across the street, out of range of the water bucket, and started playing even louder and more lively music. People who before had been ignoring the musicians were suddenly cheering them on and clapping along in support given the rude treatment they had just endured.  Before the water throwing I had not intended to put any money into the musicians collection box, but suddenly I found myself digging in my purse for a few 1 Euro coins. I loved the fact that they kept a great attitude and made the best of a bad situation.

Undeterred, the musicians set up across the street…

…and keep on jammin!

Giving a friendly “gesture” to their friends up in the window.

Let the music play!!

As I sit here with my foot elevated and an ice pack around my ankle, this story of keeping a positive attitude is particularly relevant for me.  I came home to LA a few weeks ago with plans to jump back into a hard core capoeira training routine to prepare for our big annual event taking place at the end of this month. But wouldn’t you know it, after being home for one week I manage to get hurt. What I thought was a bad sprain actually ended up being a fractured fibula.  Tomorrow I’ll be fitted for a cast which I’ll have to keep on for 4 to 6 weeks.  Not only can I not train capoeira regularly, but I also won’t be able to participate in the annual event I specifically returned home for. And because its my right foot, I won’t be able to drive – a virtual prison sentence when you live in Los Angeles.  Oh, and did I mention that I don’t currently have health insurance? Yeah…that’s some bad timing.

But like the musicians, I have to smile and keep on going with even more gusto!  Focus on the positive. Now that I’m off my feet for a month or two, I can focus even more on my job search and on overhauling my blog. I may not be able to take Capoeira classes, but I can work on the music and instruments which are  so important to this martial art. I can also save money on gas (no driving) and when a friend agrees to give me a ride, we will get the best parking spots while my break heals. Also, I feel particularly lucky that I (most likely) don’t need surgery.  That’s a relief.

So does this situation suck? Yes. And am I disappointed that I will have to give up a lot of physical activity? Absolutely! But am I still playing my music and laughing and giving the middle finger to whatever tries to get me do
wn? Hell, yeah!