When Carol Allen gets frustrated, her anger prompts her to want to hit something — a pillow, a door or a car steering wheel, whatever’s handy.
In 2005, Allen was living in Provence, France, when she heard the news that Hurricane Katrina was destroying her beloved hometown. Every morning, she watched CNN International and “cried her eyes out.” She was overcome with sadness and defeat, so she hit the steering wheel of her car one afternoon while she was driving into town to get groceries.
“I was a homesick woman, watching my city and my fellow citizens die and drown,” Allen said. “I just hit the steering wheel, and I said, ‘Do something!'”
Her act of ferocity led her to two women who introduced her to the Rotary Club of Vaison-La-Romaine in Provence, which included people of all nationalities. Allen had landed in the region after marrying a Frenchman, who she is now divorced from…