What a wonderful place. If, I could live there, or somewhere like there, I would not feel the alienation I so often feel in this society where most people won't let you be who you are. I don't think that's just because as a Celt I have an affinity for their way of life anyway, but because they are more broadly accepting of humanity.
In the pubs, people sing out loud, and are encouraged to do so. Imagine doing that here! A performance I was at, in Kerry actually, the lady at the piano was doing sing-along songs. One, I joined in. She liked my voice, I guess, so she shut up so I had to do it solo before a pretty decent audience, and then she did a
repeat, from the top, same way.
But my favorite deal was a pub in Kerry. The man there grew very attached to me for some reason though all I did was come in I guess for 3 meals maybe over 2 days. But when I left for the last time and he knew I was going back to America, he put his arm around my shoulder like he was my father or something, not in an affected or sentimental way but very sincerely and naturally, and said, "You have a nice life, Lad." Such wonderful people. And such an incredible country.
When John F. Kennedy died, Daniel Patrick Moynihan was asked his reaction and he said, "To be Irish is to know that, sooner or later, the world will break your heart." I think one reason I tend to like Irish
and Jewish people so much - almost all my close friends at Princeton were one or the other - is that they both live their emotions to the full, unafraid of them, joy and caring and sorrow too. That is the only
way to live. My book about the Cherokee I'm reading now talks about the same kind of acceptance of your humanity, though Indians actually (as the book points out) tend to be pretty buttoned-down - sometimes it
amazes me how much like the Chinese they are, though their ancestors left that part of the world in prehistoric times.
My friend Joel used to say "there are 2 kinds of people in the world - those who are Irish, and those who wish they were." He was basically the latter, though he was about 1/3 Irish. He was exaggerating, an Irish
trait, but I'd do it in a heartbeat. To "sing out loud" (quoting Diana's brother at her funeral, something he said just to make the royals uncomfortable because he'd never do it himself), to go to the pubs and
down a wonderful pint of that great brew, walk home over the fields, never a day below freezing or above 80 - man, what a way to live. And the food - the breakfasts are to die for.
Well, as a member of another nation I like put it when I started to gush about how lucky he was, "Yes, being born English is a great accomplishment - if you're able to pull it off!"
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