I don't want to be rude, Ali, but I think you're missing the point.
Literature? But the books are over, now you have to read series or films.
Because do I know any works of American literature that would have transformed my life? You're going to tell me “The Grapes of Wrath”, “The Handmaid's Tale”, “A Streetcar Named Desire”…
Yes, well, it's true that in CM2 I played the Tramway in the end of year show, but otherwise? No…
Because what really changed my life was an American series, based on Peter Falk, a wrinkled beige raincoat and an old jaw harp.
I of course want to talk about Columbo.
So that, yes, that changed my life.
Because even if Columbo hasn't been on TV for 1000 years, well, except on TV Breizh, but you still need to have a good acute Columbite to watch the rerererediff, and well despite that, 8 times out of 10 times when I give my name they say to me “Columbo, like the inspector? “.
And since life is facetious, the man with whom I share my days is called Canard. So we are Les Colombo de Canard. And that's sorry, but no author would risk such a mistake.
So as you follow my column carefully, you noticed that I said “8 times out of 10” I am told “Colombo like the inspector? “. And since you're not that bad at math, you say to yourself, “well, what about the remaining 2 times then?” »
Yes, I like doing questions and answers.
So, in 1 in 10 cases, I am told “is Colombo like the dish?” », which inevitably indicates the place of birth of said person or everything, at least their origins (often the French Caribbean, often Martinique).
And I admit that I like it. When the other day my friend Benoit said to me, with a greedy eye “you know that you are my favorite dish from when I was little, when I see you I go back to my childhood”, it made me happy, I took that as a compliment. I told myself that I looked like a little chicken, but let's be honest, right now I think I'm starting to look more like an old hen.
The 1 remaining case is generally someone who likes to travel or someone very knowledgeable in geography and who says to me “Colombo like Sri Lanka? “.
So in order to vary the pleasures, know that I also bear the name of a company which manufactures household objects.
So, for example, you can dry your laundry on a Colombo drying rack, then iron your T-shirt on it using a fabulous Colombo ironing board. But also climbing myself using a magnificent Colombo stepladder, which I take as a tribute to my legendary 50 meter height.
But I have even better than the stepladder, Ali, the hose! Since I also exist in Sausage. Sausage that you can accompany with a little glass of red wine from Colombo and girls, a Côte du Rhône that's not disgusting, enjoy, I'm currently on sale at Monop.
So, ultimately “Colombo as the inspector” is a bit short, young man, we could say a lot of things overall.
But nevertheless I take advantage of this national audience that is offered to me, to tell all the people who think that my name is Colombo like the inspector that they are wrong.
Because if Inspector Colombo is like me, of Italian origin, his family immigrated to New York, while mine settled in Villerupt, capital of the canton of Meurthe et Moselle, ah well, what do you want? -you, we don't all have the same destiny…
And so his name has become Americanized, so it is written colUmbo, while I have kept all my O's from ritalo. So no, it's not Colombo like the inspector, you may have learned something today, that public service is useless.
In any case Ali, you see, it's not just literature that can bring a lot of history into our lives.
