It was one of those perfect early summer evenings. The sky was sending out les bisous d’or and there was just a faint enough breeze to play with the ends of my skirt.
My Mom had been telling me about the Top of the Park Festival, which takes place each summer on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, for years. She had her first date with Leonard – now her fiancé – there and had passed many a happy evening with my Sister as well, dancing under the stars.
Last Saturday evening, it was finally my turn. My Mom and I stocked up on a Mexican feast from one of the food stands set up by local restaurants and went to find Leonard, who was waiting…
…in an area under the trees called the Grove, where the fairy lights blinked and plastic tumblers of red wine awaited us. Just as we arrived, plates balanced precariously in hand, a family got up from where they were sitting at the front and center of the action and said, “We are leaving, do you want our spot?” It was one of those gifts that fall into place on such an evening. We smiled and offered copious thanks as they melted into the crowds.
As I settled in, I couldn’t help but be delighted with the calmness of the scene. People of all ages, races and styles chatted quietly with one another. Kids did cartwheels across the lawn. There was no pushing to be first in line or to procure seating closer to the stage, no frantic texting or gasping theatrically into cell phones. Perhaps I have been living in Europe for too long but it did surprise me, even though I grew up largely in the Midwest where we are known for our polite behavior. Such ease of conviviality, natural and without decorum, only added to the sweetness of the evening.
I think that it was Adam Gopnik who, in his excellent book “Paris to the Moon” nailed down the contrast that in New York you are anonymous and in Paris you are given the head to toe glance by each and every person that you pass. I had experienced the shock of that transition when I moved from Manhattan to France and am now used to that attention in Arles. At the Top of the Park, no one was particularly looking or not looking. We were all just there, together. And while the three of us were unanimous in our dislike for the main band – a let down after the swing of the Joe Summers Gypsy Jazz Trio that had opened for them – we didn’t mind leaving early, for we had already passed a wonderful moment on a perfect night, the simple peace of which I will not soon forget.
From a smaller venue at Top of the Park in 2011:
Many thanks to Leonard Wells, my Mom’s wonderful fiancé, who loaned me his snazzy Samsung Galaxy to take these photos. Alas, I forgot that I can’t download images from my trusty Canon on my laptop, so I will either continue sharing the posts from Provence that I had prepared in advance or smartphone snaps while I am in the States…
And I would also like to express my gratitude to the extremely generous David Terry, who has sent me two care packages of fascinating books to entertain me during the rest of my time in States and beyond…Merci, David!
Ahhh, this is perfect! Your mother is getting re-married. How wonderful !! This just shows where the spirit of adventure comes from. Ann Arbor must be beautiful this time of the year. xx's
Heather, you've nailed 'that look' so well. That rather intimidating look the first few times one visits in Europe and the rather non-look we Americans are famous for as well. Sounds like a great even. Congrats to the bride-to-be! Don't you hate it when you realize you can't download photos for whatever reason?
Hi Heather! Thanks for this peek into your Michigan adventures. What a lovely evening and your observations are so interesting (BTW, that head-to-toe look is not limited to France, it is very much a way of life on the Nordstrom corporate elevators, too.) It does my heart good to hear and see that you are (of course) having such a wonderful trip. I'm sure the puppies miss you, but wonderful to have a nice long visit with your family. Big thanks to Leonard for loaning you his camera!
Enjoy every second! XOXOXO
Well, Miss Heather…..
First of all, give my continued congratulations to Yer Pretty Mommer and Lucky Leonard (sorry, but hereabouts it's still pro-forma and de rigeur that the boy has to count himself and be counted by other as "the lucky one" if a girl accepts his proposal). The obvious song for them is this….go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es60unGCGKw
As for you?….thanks for the shout-out, but I do hope that your readers won't assume that just anyone and everyone is going to compell me to take advantage of Amazon prime-shipping, and subsequently ship them cartons of books. For various reasons, you're the first adult in years to have brought out the skoolmarm in me. As very general rule, I'm very glad (these post-professorial days) to not feel responsible for what folks read or, for that matter, whether they read anything at all. I gather they're all busy with texting….."LOL!!!!:)"
You, however, are a special case, Heather……I want to make sure that you're reading good stuff that feeds that remarkable brain/imagination of yours. My longtime friend, David Hammond (we've discussed him; you seem to have justmissed his classes at Yale Drama) once looked at me while I was unproductively whining and fretting in my late twenties….and he said "You're not FEEDING enough"……and he bought and brought about ten books for me the next day. He was and is, as you might guess, a very fine teacher/mentor.
Fondly (and there's actually some music coming your way in Ypsilanti; presumably, it'll arrive while you're still there, and someday I'll learn how in the hell any town outside of Scandanavia got that name……),
David Terry
http://www.davidterryart.com
Sounds like a Nordic sort of an evening (except perhaps for the mixture of races as the population around here is rather homogeneous). You should visit our part of the world one day to experience another kind of Europe.
The parisien "head to toe glance" is much feared by a lot of Germans. And yes, the ease of conviviality and anonymity may not be easy to find in France.
But you do find it in London, Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne and other European cities. Though I do believe there may be even more casual implicitness in the States.
I don't quite know the situation now in Berlin, but some years ago you could walk the streets of Berlin in your nightgown without anybody remarking it.
Enjoy your time left in the States!
PS: Have you ever come across the Stereotype (and you know I do neither appreciate nor support those) that Europeans think of Americans that "they are always so polite but never tell you what they really think" (;
That must be a multiple cultural misunderstanding….
Gros Bisous,
Silke
Hello Heather:
This sounds to have been enormous fun and we are so pleased to know that you are having a really good time with your mother and Leonard in America. Yes, we can readily believe that the ways and culture are very different from that of Europe which, as you will know, can even in one continent vary considerably from country to country. What we like about what you describe here is the warmth of the people and the relative simplicity of the whole occasion.
The rewards of being anonymous and can meld in the crowd without security clearance.
Oh! I knew that I was forgetting something – thanks for asking Sister! 🙂 The food was really good (even Mom approved) and cheap too. It was from Chela's – here is the menu: http://chelas.co/menu/ See you…tomorrow. Love you…
Hooray for Ann Arbor! Yes, you nailed the easy breezy quality of an evening at Top of the Park; laid back, yummy food, cool (but not pretentious) vibe. Did you like your food? (looks delicious). And from which vendor did you get it? I'm glad you had such a lovely evening – you deserve it! Certainly the weather gods are on your side this visit! And, hooray for Leonard and David Terry for helping a sister out!!!