A Country of Talkers and Writers

The other day my sister said to me that Ireland was a country of talkers and writers.  So far on this trip, we’ve only run into the talkers.  My sister and I, both “IBM,” or “Irish by Marriage”, also like to talk, but as Americans, when compared to the Irish, we are the “JV” of chatting people up.  Although, it appears that my sister becomes a bit of the Irish gift of gab as soon as the plane lands.  I was listening to her talking to “her man” or in this case, “her girl,” at Eircom and she was giving her a detailed description of why we were in Ireland, and that the house was her husband’s family home for generations and why we needed the internet to be working. After the call, I asked her why she went into such detail with the woman, and she said that she wanted to make sure that she knew that the family had a strong connection to Ireland and was not just visiting for a week and so maybe they would fix the problem faster. It’s Day 5 and we still have not had continuous internet service at the house. I’m not sure if that theory has much merit. 

I must say though, that this Irish gift of gab has been a good thing on this particular visit, as talking to people and listening to their stories, is a whole lot better than being outside in the elements!  It is pouring right now….again. Like no other trip before, I have seen how the way in which the Irish live their lives—unlike our American way of life—fosters an environment for storytelling.  Upon arriving in the town in which the house is located, we stopped at the local food store and besides basic food items, my sister said we needed cheese, salami, crackers, tea, wine and beer because people will be stopping by…and they have.  Multiple times since arriving, my sister has “put on the kettle” because friends have come by for a chat. This is nearly unheard of in the United States, particularly during the week!  I cannot ever picture an American friend arriving unannounced on a Monday afternoon for a two hour chit-chat over a cup of tea and a scone! At home, I would have been freaking out, not because I wasn’t happy to see them, but because my weekdays (and I would assume most Americans) is jam-packed with….work.  On the days I’m working from home, I’m either answering emails, writing something or on a Zoom call.  It has been a really wonderful experience to see this very different way of life and it explains why storytelling is such a part of the fabric of Irish culture—because they make the time for those stories to be told.

And then there is the Irish wit.  I have laughed so many times while here because the stories or comments are so funny. My two favorite comments so far are as follows: 

1.  We were visiting a young couple with two young children who are about to go on holiday—not vacation. (Proof of the Irish January exodus) My sister asked whether they had a battery operated blender to blend the baby’s food while away.  The husband said that he was going to mention it to his mom so that it would arrive before they left as she is “faster than Amazon!”

2. During a conversation at the house, a neighbor was describing how her son’s employer was looking to hire someone who was “handy” and the son had recommended his cousin.  The neighbor thought that was a terrible idea and said, “Please, that boy doesn’t even know how to make the sign of the cross with those hands!”

And so five days in and not a writer in the lot. But that’s ok, because it’s these stories that really capture the heart of what makes this place so magical.  And the good news is that they can all be told inside, out of the rain.