Today’s expression: “The eyes are the window to the soul.”
Origin: This proverb or saying from the 1500s articulates the concept of looking into a person’s eyes to discern their true character or intentions.
The best part about the 9-square-meter dorm room was the view from the windows. Not so much the view, to be honest – although it did face the west, and the sunsets were delightful – but rather, the windows themselves.
Nine square meters is about 97 square feet, by the way, which is about 16 square feet smaller than the half court circle on a basketball court.
Number 1: The windows are the eyes to the soul
Tilt-and-turn windows. Why don’t we have these in the States? There were two tilt n’ turn windows in each dorm room of Bâtiment H. Now that I know what they’re called, I like to refer to them as TNT windows.
When a TNT window is locked, the handle is straight down. Turn the handle 90 degrees and pull it to open the window on a hinge (TURN). Close the window, point the handle straight up, and you can crack the window – without cracking it, if you know what I mean – to let in a breeze from the top (TILT).
It didn’t take me four months to realize how much I loved these windows. Through these windows, I heard the birds mixing their songs with those of the construction workers repairing the tramway; I smelled the before-rain wind at 3am when the first few drops pattered on the window, prompting me to lock up until sunrise; and I saw bustling streams of students traveling between classes and chatting in a now-not-so-foreign language.
You could say the TNT windows were my eyes to the soul of campus.
Number 2: Football is better than football
Watching football is such a drag. I’d rather watch curling. Maybe that’s an unpopular opinion. Tossing a pigskin is fun enough, but watching people slam their heads together is less than appealing.
Watching football is MUCH more entertaining than watching football. This is undoubtedly a popular opinion. Endurance tested on a larger field with fewer breaks in play. Agility demonstrated with intricate footwork in tight quarters. Organization exhibited in bigger-picture structures.
While it was technically futsal that I played in France, I learned to appreciate soccer in four months more than I’ve ever appreciated American football. My futsal class was one of the only times I interacted with French students as the only foreigner in the class, giving me a unique perspective with which to observe their disposition to comradery more so than to competitiveness.
When sports groups form teams in the States, I’ve often seen the primary motivator as winning. Not only winning but also utterly crushing the other team. On the contrary, the groups in France seemed motivated to enjoy the game for what it was. They’d rather create solid teamwork which they trust will lead their team to victory. Because they still love to win as well.
Number 3: The eyes are the window to the soul
“French people are so rude!” “Oh, Parisians, they’re so snobby.”
Parisians may be in a hurry sometimes, but so are people in drive-throughs. Before you group an entire population and categorize them as rude or snobbish, look into their eyes.
What I saw when looking into the eyes of the French were souls much like mine.
Practice removing stereotypes from your subconscious mind. When possible, give people the benefit of the doubt. Become accustomed to dispositioning yourself to accept others as innocent until proven guilty while still taking safety precautions you deem necessary. Love and respect yourself, and you will be inclined to love and respect others.
As Horton the elephant says, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Try replacing the word “small” with any other adjective. Look into the eyes of the person in front of you and you’ll see that we all are who we are. The eyes are the window to the soul.
Number 4: Life is Pain (au chocolat)
Right after getting my keys and dropping my bags off in the dorm room, I walked to the nearest bakery. The first pastry I consumed on French soil was pain au chocolat (literally “chocolate bread”).
Bars of dark chocolate baked into a croissant. It doesn’t get any better than that.
The picture above demonstrates humanity’s ability to find the bright side of dark situations. Pain is everywhere. Life could be seen as being filled with nothing but varying degrees of pain. People everywhere are hurting. Sometimes all we can do to help is introduce a new perspective that can be the bright side for someone to cling to.
In younger generations, our tendencies often lead us to temporary, pain-numbing short-term solutions. The search for happiness leaves millions unhappy. Chasing the desire to be filled may leave you empty. What we need to do is be present with others. If nothing else, we should share with others. We should share our resources if not our time. Maybe share some food – especially dessert – with friends and family. Cherish opportunities to share delicious pastries as often as possible.
If you take nothing else from number 4 here, remember this: Life is short. Eat dessert first.
Here’s today’s riddle (and the answer is NOT pain au chocolat).
Riddle:
You throw away the outside, cook the inside, eat the outside, throw away the inside. What is it?
Ça vous dit quelque chose ? 
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