I’ve spent a lot of time around divorce and people going through it. But I have to admit this is a new one even for me. Thousands of Parisians took part in a “Divorce Fair” last Sunday.
If you’re wondering what goes on at a divorce fair, you can read the AP article about it and see for yourself. 60 vendors, ranging from lawyers and counselors to tarot card readers and self-esteem counselors, hawked their services to those Parisians unfortunate enough to need them. The participants also listened to presentations with names like “Plastic Surgery’s Role in Re-Conquering Your Image” and “How to Re-seduce Your Partner Using the Gestalt Method.”
Not sure how I feel about this. A part of me wants to encourage anything we in the culture can do to make divorce less brutal for those going through it, including bringing together in one place the services they need, and yes, even the services I think they don’t. On the other hand, it just seems a tad icky to have it so clearly and transparently illustrated that there is an entire industry (of which I am clearly a participant) set up to traffic on and profit from the misery and vulnerability of those going through divorce.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.