Pieta.

 Recollection, memories and trends of thoughts during the long October month where both parents, ten years apart, left me, is never easy time to go through..

But that precise last Friday evening  all of the sudden the  rather monotonous  quiet evening  when time to watch the local news  on tv arrived,  we both sank in a sort of mute despair at the announcement of the atrocious death of the  History teacher, beheaded  by a young muslim who attacked him on purpose not far from the secondary modern school in outer Paris.

I spent my active life as an ordinary teacher, state one with all the background required to be part of the institution which was glorious  and generous when I started teaching  at the end of the sixties.  When I left for retirement in early 20ties the institution was nearly broken at heart for  too many deep reasons.

What happened last Friday  is the utmost level of horror after the massacre of the  Charlie Hebdo journalists. The root of the assassination of this young teacher  is also the caricatures of the prophet. We believe deeply in the concept of 'éclairer les consciences' and learn to keep our minds open during the long years at school, State school, which is 'laïque' in respect to all religious beliefs but religion stops at the school entrance.  What is taught is moral enlightment inherited from  'le siècle des Lumières'  the so called 'esprit critique'. That is the heart of the matter. Therefore for the Isis followers there is no pity towards us : violence is their only answer even when they have lived with us for many years.

For the sake of what I believe and share with the departed young  History teacher called Samuel Paty  I simply ask 'pieta' to the ones ready to kill,  if only they could decide to think  in terms of human value on earth, of all what is given to them  when their children join School.

Departing from this world at this time of spreading infection, almost on his working site, and in such condition,  is nightmarish. The young muslim also had a dreadful departing : shot by the police at the end of the road where he killed Samuel.(These days the Police forces do not train to aim at legs like in the old days : Justice never has a live 'killer''  to judge, only dead bodies ).

All I can do to find some comfort is always in baroque music either Purcel or Monteverdi or Haendel.

The music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKLqZMrKAno can shed the tears I cannot simply shed at this time of despair. Then there will be the time to try to count our Blessings .... perhaps .(many thanks for this marvellous upload hoping it will not disappear like so often now).