Something scary arrived in the mail… read on.
le recensement militaire
: registration (military), census, counting (votes)
Audio File: listen to our son, Max, read his letter (below) from the mayor, including the term "recensement militaire": Download MP3 file or Wav file
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
"I begin to be adult"
.
Our 15-year-old son has received a letter* from the mayor. It reads:
Monsieur Maxime Espinasse
Né le 17 mai 1995
Est invité à passer en Mairie, Service "Etat Civil" à compter du 17 mai 2011…
Et obligatoirement avant le: 30 juin 2011
Pour son recensement militaire, muni de la carte d'identité française et du livret de famille de ses parents (Copies + Originaux)
Le Maire,
Max Ivan
( *For the English translation, go to the end of this post.)
Why does the mere act of reading the words recensement militaire make my tear ducts tingle?
15-year-old Max has the answer, in halting English:
Because, says he, I begin to be adult.
***
Post note: I did not correct my son's English… and I didn't tell him that his becoming adult is not the reason for my frisson.
Update: Jean-Marc tells me that military service in France is no longer obligatory. Nevertheless, boys and girls must respond to the recensement militaire, by registering at the local Mairie.
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French Vocabulary
le frisson = shiver, shudder
.
* Mr. Maxime Espinasse
Born May 17, 1995,
Is invited to come to Town Hall, to the Registry Office, voluntarily on May 17, 2011,
And involuntarily not later than June 30, 2011,
For his military registration and to bring with him his French-identity card (the original and copies) and his family-record book (the original and copies).
The Mayor
Max Ivan
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I’m anti-military, but WOW he is so handsome in his ‘gear’!! very very good looking almost adults!! a lovely photo journey though his short life. time passes so terribly quickly.
When each of my two sons reached the age of enlistment, I began to receive calls from recruiters …. Marines, Army, Navy. I told one recruiter when he called, “You want to send my son to war?” He said, “You sound just like my mom.” We moms are all alike. We don’t want our children in danger. It makes me that much more appreciative of those moms who do have sons and daughters in the service. God bless them!
Bonjour Kristin.
Pour moi le service militaire doit être obligatoire, non pas pour apprendre à faire la guerre et à tuer. Mais pour discipliner les jeunes, pour leur montrer à travailler en équipe, se lever tôt et faire de l’exercice. Pour moi les militaires seront là pour aider les gens qui vivent des catastrophes, comme on voit au Japon. Faire la Paix entre les peuples.
Pour moi il faut apprendre aux soldats à aimer et non pas à tuer son frère humain. Pour moi les militaires doivent changer leurs chars d’assaut en tracteur, pour aider les pays pauvre.
Exploiter le génie humain à rayer les maladies, et la pauvreté au lieu de fabriquer des armes de plus en plus puissantes et à destruction massive.
Mais le lobi de l’armement, les gens qui veulent faire de l’argent en fabriquant des armes, ne se soucie guère des familles qui voient leurs enfants sacrifiés et des villes entières détruites.
Une chance pour Max que le service militaire n’est pas obligatoire en France.
Bonne journée à toi.
Salutation à toute la famille et à Jules
Abdalla & Colette xxx
It still seems very strange that here in the U.S., where sexual equality is preached from the roof tops, that it is only young men and not young women that have to register for the Draft. Maybe it’s still like the book “Animal Farm’ – everyone is equal but some, in this case, are more equal than others.