Crying in Public

Day 14 in Paris

It's been two weeks since I've arrived in Paris. And there's one thing that I forget sets Paris apart from other cities I've been to. Women crying in public. Women crying in parks, on benches along the street, on the metro, waiting for the metro, outside metro stations. Just women in tears everywhere. By my count I've seen 9 women crying in public, and only one was a tourist. And it's not even gray, gray, November yet.

It's not that Paris is an emotional city. It's a passionate city, that is for sure. But in many respects it's much like New York. When you leave your apartment you put on your game face. You wipe any sign of emotion from your face--anything that could be construed as a weakness--and you go and brave the elements, the people, the chaos, and public transport. For the most part, it's stoic faces all around. Which is why when you do see a teary-eyed face among the crowd it's even more jarring than it should be.