Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with two interesting and quite different French teenagers, both of whom are at the very particular age of 14. I have known Mateo, above, for a few years now as he the son of one of Remi’s closest friends. Each time that they come down to Provence for a visit, I see Mat’s mind opening with leaps and bounds. He is already a consummate Parisian with impeccable manners, his own “look” and a wide grasp of current culture. He is a willing conversationalist with very specific points of view, including a strong argument that his particular generation is not as deeply impacted by the violence present in video games as we adults might think.
One of the highlights of Mat and his Dad’s visit this summer was a picnic held at our secret church. The day was blistering but that didn’t prevent us from having a wonderful time. It says a lot about Mat that he is not the kind of ado that will whine about being bored, he takes his time into his own hands. So while we chattered on and on, he asked if he could borrow my camera and went on a photo hunt. Below are two that he took, which I wanted to share as it was lovely to discover where his eye roamed.
Unfortunately, Mat headed back up north the day before Loïc’s arrival, so they weren’t able to meet.
Also from la région parisienne, Loïc was vacationing en famille with an old friend of ours. He is quiet and discreet, yet I was quickly impressed by his attentiveness towards his younger Sister, Julie as well as his lack of hesitation in asking questions on subjects that were new to him. I also could call him “The Dog Whisperer” for his excellent connection with animals. Ben was certainly completely charmed by him, answered his call and followed him wherever he went.
Perhaps because Remi and I don’t have children ourselves, I find such meetings edifying, a means to touch base with a youth that is quite different from what I experienced. Of course, some aspects are not surprising–Mat and Loïc both have an ease regarding their near constant connection with the virtual world, one which they can take or leave unobtrusively, without any show or pretension. But what marked me the most was how serious they both are about their futures. Yes, at 14. Both admitted that due to the fact that we are in such shaky times financially, they will need to have specific career plans and have already taken solid steps in moving towards their perspective choices. Impressive, isn’t it? I sincerely hope that both of them have bright futures ahead.
So, any thoughts from my friends around the world about our youth today?
Absolutely, Veronique. C'est completement ça! I was struck by how grounded they both are. And I can only imagine what a charmer Alec must be with a Mom like you and such a cosmopolitan upbringing! You might want to show him Remi's website, the vast majority of the work on it was shot in Leica. 🙂
Suze, where have you been all my life? 😉 Kindness begets kindness and so these two are well-deserving of your wonderful words.
Merci dear Marsha and right back at ya. And yes both of these young men come have excellent fathers (I have yet to meet their Moms) of that I can be sure. Both of the Dads have confidence in their boys and what an effect that clearly has on them both.
Despite their age, both of these young men seem to be very wise. It is interesting that there is a seriousness about them which belies the fact that they are 14.
As always, you have such wonderful perspectives to share. I couldn't agree with you more heartily on the importance of staying in touch with young people–or our elders! We all have so much to offer that having a sense of the Big Picture is the true gift.
Looking forward to hearing about your excursion to Venice!
Bisous,
H
With two boys now in college – one 19 and the other (OMG) 20, and having just been through weeks of all-night parties chez moi as a result of both touching down at home for a bit… I find our youth to be serious, yes, but also still full of a desire to play and experiment. That's a good thing, of course, though the source of worry for most parents.
It's been interesting as I'm a cultural hybrid, my kids are half European, one has spent tons of time overseas (France, Switzerland, Belgium), and the other – recently – his first extended stay in Europe with an apprenticeship.
Their friends are and have always been a bit of everything. They (and we) have housed teenagers from France as well as Latvia. What strikes me is the consistency of both the serious side and the wild side. Again, that seems exactly as it should be. And getting to know these kids (not just my own) is always – as you say – edifying.
Lovely post!
Bonjour Heather. This story resonated for me because my one and only, Alec, is about to turn 13. It was interesting to read about Mateo and Loïc, who, in spite of their different personalities, sound like very smart, centered, and personable young men. I guess mine would be closer in personality to Mateo, even though he looks more like Loïc. I can just see Alec ask you to borrow your camera too! He has long been interested in photography, and his dream is to own his own Leica camera. 🙂 — I admire kids that age who, in spite of the unavoidable teenage angst, and the constant swirl of "bad news" about the state of the world surrounding them , still manage to remain optimistic, dream, and look forward to the future. Great story. Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
YES. Impressive.
Heather, you have my heart racing and my mind sprinting to catch up with the portrait of these two young men. From where I sit on the other side of the world, I send whatever blessings I am capable of to the boy whose eye roams to secrets hiding in plain sight and the boy who charmed Ben. My speeding heart is filled with a desire to see both Mat and Loic succeed in all that they put their hands to.
I do think that the character of the children is instilled via the parents and their teaching & requirements. Your 2 examples are verifying this, I believe. Strong, good guidance of receptive kids will definitely be our future. I'm thrilled to hear this description of the taking/leaving of computers and games. Of course, this is their world, still sorta new to us, you know? They were born into this so it is natural for them. And, yes, I do believe everything is cyclical. Love from Texas, darling…..
Hello Heather:
The young, we believe, are very much our future and it is heart warming to read this post of two young people with clear plans for the future, on the look out for the unexpected, have a resonance with nature and possess the glint of optimism and energy in their eyes. Yes, we too hope that they will achieve their dreams.
As we too do not have children, we think it very important to stay in contact with young people and to hear their views and ideas. In our school days, we were very much aware of such things and now we are pleased to have young people as friends in order to keep in touch with the modern world.