This is a chapter in my last book, The Maxfieldian Way and Feral Guide to Going Nowhere. I’ve long admired the French for a long list of habits and traits, and of course, for beheading bad government.
The French are smarter than we are, and it’s time to admit it.
They eat better food, they’re thin and beautiful, they smoke, they drink, they have longer vacations, they work fewer hours, they have lovers, and they LIVE LONGER THAN WE DO.
Americans work too long, eat garbage, get two weeks if they’re lucky, and we die young and think we’re better than everyone else.
We’re wrong. They’re right.
Oh, and their cars are more interesting. I drive a 1971 Citroen DS, which is probably the most interesting car anyone has ever built. I drive it almost every day and it’s a Joy Module of the first order and you’ll have to buy the book to know what a Joy Module is, but it’s pretty easy to figure out.
Thank you, France. Keep up the good work. You are a nation of naturally born Maxfieldians and we salute you.
And by the way. There is a rather magical story to that image. Because I drive an old Citroën DS as my daily driver, I catch wind of Citroën DS happenings all over the planet. A Rockabilly band out of Rouen, France, called Hot Slap had a music video out that had the band driving to a gig in a beautiful Citroen DS, so I found their website and reached out to them to say hi and tell them that they should come play in Austin, Texas.
“Of course, it is our dream to come play in Austin.”
So we made it happen. It took a couple of years, but they came to Austin, and I managed to get them a place to stay, a lot of instruments and amps, and a dozen gigs from a vintage car show to Antone’s, The Little Longhorn, and Poodie’s.
They had a blast, played all over town, and went back to Rouen with an open invitation for us to come visit. So we did.
Rouen is a wonderful place, kind of a Paris Lite with a mix of half-timber buildings and modern replacements to fill the damage done by ousting the Nazis.
We spent a four-hour lunch with the band, and DiDi brought his beautiful, black Citroen DS and it drew a crowd all day.
The moral of the story is to always say yes.
