Happy Zombies

It's the season for strikes in the City of Lights.
Retirement reform has got Paris churned up and grinding down, again. And, although it could turn into a much bigger mess, there's always something inspiring about social unrest.

Take the strikers, for example. They leave their houses well before dawn, stand for hours in the drizzly cold, and, only then, do they march (or block railroad tracks and refineries). Keeping that up takes a lot of fortitude. Serious non-working is no picnic.

And, of course, with such uncertain commutes, working isn't easy, either. But, somehow, the French stay good-natured, on the whole. They seem to accept that, given their traits: solidarity, critical-thinking and a love for debate, big social movements are simply inevitable.

But, last Saturday, things turned dark and ugly.

Out of nowhere, a few hundred zombies invaded the center of town. Screaming and shrieking with mouths red with blood, they attacked everything and everyone. The government, large industry, pollution, declining health care and junk food were among the victims. One of the signs they were carrying summed it up perfectly. It said: We Want More Brains!!

Now, these are serious times; there's a lot at stake. But, someone thought that, as the French love to gripe -- and they do and they admit it, too -- why not bring all sides together for one afternoon? A protest, for anyone, about anything at all. The perfect French reunion party.

So, the zombie-band played loud and beer splashed out on the crowd. Even little old ladies laughed as the street came alive. And, intelligence danced in everyone's eyes with naivity.

Parisians tend to be overly sophisticated and hardly spontaneous. But, when inspired, they make art out of paradox.