“Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries.”
~Victor Hugo
Yesterday, the world watched in horror as the heart of Paris burned. Notre Dame Cathedral, a building which was made of almost entirely wood and nicknamed "The Forest," has stood for almost 900 years. The first bricks were laid by a pope and a king. It took almost TWO HUNDRED YEARS to build. It took a fire twelve hours to destroy a lot of it.
I have seen people say crap like, "It's only a building. They can re-build." "Just be grateful that no one was hurt." I was to say one thing to you guys. Fuck you. I don't give a crap if that pisses you off either and I'll say it again. Fuck you.
To a lot of people, this was NOT just a building. Like most churches for some people, that building was a symbol of hope, love, faith, and cherished memories. This was a place where they went to worship in their faith...or is that the issue? The face that not only was it a historic building, but a religious one as well? Get over it.
Do I agree with everything that the Catholic Church teaches? Absolutely not. I was raised Catholic. I have not been to church since my ex and I split up for my personal reasons. Religion is not super important to me, but here's the thing...it is to other people. I respect that other people have their personal beliefs that don't match mine and as long as they don't try to push that on me, I'm ok with that.
This building was so much more to so many people than just a church. This was historical. The building was older than our goddamn country for Pete's sake! The architecture alone is a treasure. Not to mention the windows, the art work inside, the flying buttresses, the gargoyles, the statues, the...everything. Two hundred years to build and another 700 of upkeep. This wasn't just another street corner church that was burned to the ground. You won't find a building like that built today. This was actual history that was devastated.
The spire that fell yesterday was not part of the original design. It was built after the Revolution after Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The book itself was a call to France to preserve that national treasure. The spire was built during that time. The architect that designed it...he was 30 years old at the time. His creation stood for over 150 years. He may be long gone, but his design lived on for over a century. It stood out in the Paris skyline and was a symbol to many people of many good things.
Yes, the building can be repaired to a certain extent, but the work...oh, the works that were ruined, some centuries old, those are gone for good. You can't teach that in a history book. You can't teach someone the awe that you feel when you walk into a building that ancient, one that is not only still standing, but functional! Hell, I was overcome when I stepped onto the steps of Nassau Hall in Princeton, knowing how many of our forefathers and historical figures stepped foot on those exact same steps. Those steps are only about 300 years old. I may never get the chance to step foot in Notre Dame. It may never be in the cards for me, but it was always a hope. It was always a dream. Now, depending on the extent of the damage, it may be one that will not come true, and if it does, it will not be to the same extent.
I am grateful that no one was killed in this blaze. I am. But, you can be grateful for no lives lost and still mourn the loss of the history that this building held. Yes, it was a building, but buildings house more than just things. They house memories. They house history. They house comfort, and for many, this was a place of comfort that they no longer have.
Another thing is this...Notre Dame saw anywhere between 12 million to 13 million tourists in a year. Let that sink in. Yes, Paris has other attractions to see, but Notre Dame was a HUGE attraction for people to come and admire the structure. Now, I am not naive to think that tourism is going to take a huge hit, but it may take somewhat of a hit. If your dream trip was to see this cathedral, and it burned down, what then? There are a lot of people whose dream was to see it live. I was one of them.
The Parisian skyline has been altered, at least for now, and I can't help but think back to 17 1/2 years ago when the twin towers in New York fell, altering the New York skyline forever. No, this was not an act of terrorism, well, not that we know of, and no, 3,000 people didn't die yesterday. But, one of their national treasures was destroyed. 900 years of history is devastated. A symbol of hope for millions of people worldwide is gone (the spire.)
Let's not forget that when we were dealt our blow, albeit in a different sense, France stood with us in our grief. They are grieving the loss of a huge part of their history and of their economical system. Millions of people are mourning the loss of their symbol of hope. And many others are waiting to hear of the loss of priceless artifacts, some of which, if they could talk, could tell us history that we could only read about in books.
So, no, the fire at Notre Dame yesterday was not just about a building, but it was about what that building meant to millions upon millions of people around the world. So, yes, some people are going to feel hopeless today and for, maybe, years to come. They have the right to feel that way, just like you have a right to believe that it was just a building.
What you do not have a right to do is to diminish someone else's feelings over something that you deem trivial. Get over yourselves and have some damn compassion for others. You may call the people mourning selfish or whatever else. Maybe it is you who should be taking a look in the mirror. Maybe you should ask yourself what makes this building so special that it made international news all day and all night and is still on the day after. This isn't about religion. This was an ancient building that just so happened to be a religious building. This is about history, and art, but mostly, hope.
Stay strong, Paris. Millions of people are mourning with you.
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