A Different Lens On Cannes

I'm not at Cannes Lions this week, the annual gathering of creativity in my industry. In fact, I've not yet attended as it caters to the largest and more glamorous of firms. I did spend the summer of 2017 in Cannes, and it was one of my life's richer experiences.

I had spent the last two years focused on my sons and their recovery following the drowning death of their mother. We took big trips every six months. Paris, Vienna, Yosemite, San Francisco among them. Planning the trips was one of the things I could do to aid in their healing. It was important to build hope in the future, something ahead to look forward to. I was heavily focused at the same time on continuing to build my business and had just finished year two of an embedded assignment in Houston with a great client. They wanted me on the ground and I negotiated that work and ran my business at the same time out of their offices. I was tired managing so many fronts and needed my own reset.

I never had a university summer abroad experience and decided to burnish my French by enrolling in a language program in France. There were many programs but Cannes had a beach! I rented a townhouse just off the Rue Meynadier across from the Marche Forville. It was simply furnished. The apartment had a small television which only played a British Military new desk and a continuous loop of Hogan's Heroes. I could write, conduct some business and focus on my language program. I also found a painting instructor. The last time I held a paint brush was in the 3rd grade. Before I left Charlotte the client in my last assignment assured me this idea was folly for my business. He may have been right, but I found a sitter for the dogs and boarded my flight for Nice.

Each morning after a run, I took the bus to Cannes la Bocca to the small language program. Afternoons were beach clubs and evening strolls on the Croisette. My terrible French became a bit better by summer's end. Passable for when I might return to Congo.

The summer was filled with amazing people. Running my own business, I am not shy to introduce myself. I met my engineer friend Nikolay from Moscow who I met in line at a burger spot. We had mutual clients. Sylvie ran a nine table Mediterranean restaurant all by herself and fed me 2-3 times a week. The university administrator from Madrid. Dear Cecile who walked the vineyards in the hills above Nice with me before returning to her healthcare role in Copenhagen. Michelle the wise classmate from Taiwan. Moby the always kind project manager from Saudi Arabia. Madame Bouquet the constant cigarette smoking teacher artist who was so patient with my skills (I really don't think that was her real name). All of these individuals and more made for a really rich respite at that time in my life. I traveled to Italy again before returning to continue to build my firm in the fall.

I managed to get the right haircut using only my French. I saw the circus Saloon with a musical background including Patsy Cline in French. Life was unencumbered and filled with interesting, vibrant people. It was simple. Sometimes I refer to Cannes as the Myrtle Beach of France. It's busy and touristy in July. I was fortunate though to experience Cannes this way. I was recharged to face what life and business brought next. Some day soon I hope to see Cannes again. Perhaps I will attend the Lions festival too.