Forgive me Paris, It was I who was the Barbarian

I came to Paris reluctantly. I had heard that she was a dirty, expensive city with rude inhabitants. Yet, in only a few hours I was in love with the city. It took me along time to figure out why. At first it was like any love affair. Paris could do no wrong and I could not see her blemishes. When I did begin to see that Paris is just a place I began to look for the reason behind the special connection I have with her. I read everything I could about the city. I walked in endlessly in her streets. I began taking pictures. It was the images that finally brought me to realize the answer to my question, why Paris? At first the images I made of her were pretty but obvious and banal. I could look in any Paris photo book and see the same images. Yet, the images began to change. What I wanted to capture on film became illusive. As I looked through my contact sheets and finished prints I could see the change. At about the time I started to visit Paris I also began a philosophical practice of life as Art. The Art of introspection and self-improvement. And then suddenly I knew what is was … Paris is my model for tracking progress in the Art of Life. I set a goal of achieving harmony, beauty, and integrity in my life. Paris had become a way to track my progress because she has those features. I picked her for those reasons and I come back every year after making changes in my life and I measure myself against the ideal. Is Paris more like me than it was last year? Am I more like her? Do you have a place like that?