Edith would be so proud

I love that the first lady of France, Valerie Trierweiler, told reporters:

"Je ne regrette rien."

Fans of Edith Piaf's song of the same name will understand my amusement. Finally, someone said "I regret nothing" in French. And for a real purpose, too. Not just as a joke.

Mind you, when she checked in to a hospital last week for a tasteful, well-reported swoon -- after finding out the prez was leaving her for "a younger actress" (I love that phrasing; not for a younger woman but for a younger "actress") -- I lost whatever empathy I had for her. Which is not to imply that I had any in the first place.

Trierweiler seems to be living a movie rather than a life. But at least she has no regrets. It's all anyone can ask of life.

Editing with Edith

As usual, I'm plugging away at my work. Today I edited Xmas Carol for a few hours and it was a good session. I could tell that with every change I made, the book was improved. That's all I ask.

But all the while what I really wanted to do was listen to the slew of Edith Piaf songs I bought last night. Unfortunately, I sing along with Edith; I just can't help it. I mean, you can't just sit there when she's singing! It's a team sport. However, singing in French while you're writing in English is not a good match.

So I edited a scene and played three songs, edited a scene and played three songs, etc.. What a wonderful day I'm having!

Non, je ne regrette rien

A friend reminded me today of Edith Piaf. I don't imagine younger visitors to this blog will even have heard of the woman, but she was a singer who was popular from the 1940s until about 1960. She was wonderful.

She was a very tiny woman who was known in France as the "Little Sparrow". Edith sang about love and sexual attraction, about great joy as well as pain and loss. She put herself into her songs in a way that transformed them into mini-dramas. Each one is a compelling tale that pulls you in and makes you love her. And the voice! If you are immune to Edith Piaf's charms, you're probably dead.

My blog post title is the name of her most famous song. It means, "No, I regret nothing." She lived her life the way she wanted to -- and the world be damned. That's the message that comes through clearly in her music: I will take life and drink it fully, I will experience it all and no one can stop me. 

So when my friend posted about Edith on her blog today, I headed straight to iTunes and bought a 50-song album for $3.99! I was shocked by the price. Fifty songs! I'm listening to them now and the album is faaaaaaaabulous! Go buy it right away. It's called "50 grande chansons". You won't regret it (unless you're dead).