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Boethian Moments
Finding consolation as the wheel of fortune inexorably turns
In a nearby apartment a small child is happily babbling; the first phase of learning to talk. The babble is full of intonation, intervals, and rhythm. The only thing missing is words, and they will come soon enough. I smile when I hear the sounds because they bring back memories of my own son at a similar age, and I recall how precious that time was.
Yesterday evening, while walking along the promenade that runs along the edge of Lac Leman, I saw a father propelling his daughter on his skateboard. Skateboards, especially the electrically-assisted kind, are very popular here. The daughter had a small scooter but clearly her legs had grown tired and so she was hitching a ride on the front of the larger skateboard while her father literally did the legwork. Seeing her glide past, cross-legged and with a huge smile on her face, filled me with happiness.
On the same walk I saw an older couple sharing a bottle of wine, cheese, and a baguette as they sat on the concrete wall looking out over the lake in the direction of Evian. It was clear this couple were still enjoying one another’s company.
A toddler ran past, his ice-cream cone raised to the sky as he tried to persuade a fleeing sheldruck that the cold treat in his hand would be a welcome…
