THE DOWNSIDE UP

Miscellaneous writings which include humor, politics, and poetry. (Copyright protected.)

Monday, August 06, 2007

Gay Paree

Every day is a new beginning albeit a continuation of yesterday and the day before and so forth. Today brings hope, confidence, and fresh ideas-- the opportunity to re-label a mistake or two, and even three or four.

The name Paris once brought to mind the capital of France along with crème brulée, visions of opera, romance, the River Seine, and high fashion. There are memories of chatter from sidewalk cafes, aroma of baking pastries, and the Louvre which houses magnificent art.

The Eiffel Tower was erected as the main attraction for the 1889 World's Fair. A bit out of place where it stands, it was the most highly achieved architectural design for the time. A few years after the exposé, Victor Lustig gathered selected scrap metal dealers for a secret bidding allegedly to buy the Tower. He took cash from the highest bidder then immediately left the country but the scam worked so well he returned to Paris and ran it again.

Hitler ordered the Tower demolished. His order was intentionally overlooked. The Tower was used in the capture of double agent Mata Hari, also known as H-21, who was ultimately executed by a firing squad. It has survived torrent winds, lightning, and multiple fires and is as resilient as is the city in which it stands.

Two years before the tower was erected Conrad Nicholson Hilton, Sr. was born far from The City of Light in a territory now recognized as New Mexico, U.S.A. After he gained his education and did a minimum stint in the military, Hilton moved to Texas and bought a hotel in the small east Texas town of Cisco. Following that success, Hilton established a hotel in El Paso.

Putting folks up for a night or two must have been pretty good business because Hilton's hotel chain rather rapidly grew on an international scale. Although Conrad Hilton may have lacked the luster that northern France offered, his great-granddaughter is as shinny as was his first silver-dollar.

Paris Hilton has a rich daddy and good looking mama who would be at wits ends except they had the wherewithal to have employed publicists who promise historical rewriting will make Paris beloved in most American homes. Not to suggest the penned charm could lack success, but it's likely the publicists got their fee paid up front.

It surely shouldn't strike anyone odd that Paris would venture beyond the family fortress but photographs of her show little restraint about what she is willing to share with the multitudes and it isn't fish and loaves. Re-writing that history will challenge creativity.

As a bad break would have it, Paris got thrown in the county hotel by a dogmatic city judge on the urging of a crazed city prosecutor. Each apparently thought they could right universal wrongs by putting a choke hold on the Hilton family. They declared complete exacerbation that Paris would drive with a suspended driver's license.

After the Judge sentenced Paris to forty-five days confinement there was a short-lived tug-o-war with the local sheriff offering her a helping hand in a sanctioned escape. Facing contempt charges himself, the Sheriff cried uncle, bowed to the judge, and sent his deputies to apprehend Paris.

The city prosecutor, enraged that his excellent work had been tampered with, encouraged the judge to grant Paris no mercy, which he didn't. Instead, he tossed her back in the hoosegow.

Inmates who are incarcerated for serious offenses often claim their jail experience was the catalyst for getting right with the world -- a typical result from a prolonged lack of choices. Paris may be the first to have undergone such metamorphosis due to a suspended license offense.

So far as the city prosecutor is concerned, during Paris' incarceration there was substantial criticism lodged against him and an ethics commission may soon review his own personal and professional history.

There is little doubt that the rich and famous have unique challenges that the less fortunate never encounter. It must have been reality shattering for Paris when someone said, "No!" and meant "No!" then enforced it. At age twenty-six it must have been down right heart breaking for Paris to say goodbye to her folks knowing she couldn't see them for almost twenty-four hours.

Paris has now shed bars and returned to life among chauffeurs and servants. Maybe a Paris sabbatical is in order but she is cautioned to avoid a prince called Paris who has superior knowledge about a Trojen Horse.

Bon voyage Mademoiselle Hilton.


© Coninc., TheDownsideUp.Com 2007

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