Chère âme, ou noble esprit, veuille bien accepter mes salutations les plus sincères... J'espère que cette missive vous trouvera en parfaite santé et dans la sérénité la plus totale.
I find myself facing a particular dilemma: I am studying French, but truly, the finest motivation is to find a kind correspondent with whom to share the language.
I am an introverted, deeply melancholic, and mystically inclined soul with a predilection for art of the 18th and 19th centuries -
its glorious music, classic literature, old cinema, and philosophy (particularly Emmanuel Levinas and French thought). Though as of late I haven't been reading as much due to health, I hope to return to it soon! I would also be remiss if I didn't mention my devotion to writing; it is my heartfelt hope to publish a novel someday.
I hold a profound reverence for archaic manuscripts, and I am terribly inquisitive - always possessing a curious mind. Whether I am solving puzzles, crafting ciphers, learning languages, or tinkering away in **a rich, sensorial mental laboratory of my own creation (building worlds and characters for short stories, studying how historical patterns repeat, or leaving letters for strangers), I am usually crafting something.
I find myself endlessly fascinated by figures like Nostradamus, Hildegard von Bingen, and Nikola Tesla, though I admit I still have much reading left to do. More than anything, I am hoping to find a true friendship with a fellow creator, seeker of wisdom, and lover of truth.
Because I have only recently embarked upon the journey of learning French, I am looking for a French native who is fluent in English and willing to correspond primarily in English to start. As my knowledge grows, I would love for us to slowly introduce French into our letters, gradually weaving it in as we go.
A gentle caveat: Please refrain from writing to me if you rely on an LLM or AI to generate messages for you. It is a sad thing to rely on a device to think and write for you, especially when intended to connect with another living human being.
I am not seeking someone to play the role of a jester in my court, rummaging for the next rush of dopamine by writing to someone new, only to hold them captive in that role before looking elsewhere once the novelty fades. Nor am I seeking to play the role of a pierrot or harlequin for anyone. I believe genuine friendship is founded upon shared values, empathy, a good sense of humor, and earnest curiosity. Furthermore, I am seeking a strictly platonic, intellectual friendship and ask for mutual respect regarding personal boundaries and patience with each other. I cherish the beauty of getting to know another introspective person in an unhurried manner, learning to treasure one another through the written word alone, completely free from the hurried expectations of the modern world.
I've always believed the only requirements for prompting interesting conversation are authenticity, kindness, earnest curiosity, and courage. After all, a good conversation is like a well-timed orchestra playing a symphony where everyone plays according to their notes at their exact moment, and no one rushes or plays over another. Every instrument has its purpose; this is the difference between a disastrous cacophony and a harmonious melody.
If you too have grown weary of our modern culture's vacuous, quick-paced messaging and long for old-fashioned, long-form epistles at our own pace, then I'd be honored to hear from you.
As a few practical notes: please know that this exchange is strictly online for now, as my current circumstances do not allow me to send physical mail. Digital missives, although admittedly not as anachronistically charming, can still carry a similar beauty and mystique if written with care and intention. To keep our correspondence focused purely on the meeting of minds, this exchange will remain portrait-free - though if you would like to share photos of a beautiful sunset, your sweet but chaotic cat smugly soaking up sun rays, or really just about anything that made you smile, I would love to see it. I am seeking a singular and intentional connection rather than wide-net messaging or mass exchanges.
To ensure our orchestra begins in perfect harmony, and to preserve the human authenticity I care so deeply about, I kindly ask that you weave your favorite book, film, or quiet thought into your initial greeting so I know what specific worlds you love to experience.
Cura ut valeas,
With kind regards,
Madeleine 🌹