St. Paddy's and Musings

First of all--St. Patrick's Day. Basically, the 17th of March is the same in Northern Ireland as it is in the U.S. It's an excuse to go out to the pubs all day, wear green, and drink. That said, it was a good time. I was off that evening, so I did venture out into the town with a few other volunteers. Sorry to disappoint, but it wasn't all that exciting. I was home by about midnight even.

In other news, things are still going well. I've worked with some really good groups these past couple weeks. This week I worked with a small group of 10-year-olds from the Belfast area. They were really good kids, especially considering that I got the impression that they hadn't had the easiest of lives so far. I will definitely remember so many of these kids. I couldn't forget their obsession with the rabbits on site if I tried. Some of them had never seen wild rabbits before, so it was hard to peel them off the windows when we wanted to start an activity.

After the group left, the other volunteer and I were cleaning up the unit. I was mopping the kitchen and dining room and thinking about lots of things. I thought about friends. I got a long email the other day from a really good friend back in Ohio with lots of news--good and bad--and it made me think about our friendship, and friendship in general. I realized that some friends are the sort of people that you might call up for a fun night out on the town. Some friends you know you could call at any hour if something had gone terribly wrong. And, if your lucky, some friends are both in one. And those are the ones really worth hanging on to. Living away from everyone I know has made it more difficult to keep in touch with friends in general, but I have come to realize the truth in the old adage, 'you don't know what you've got til it's gone.' Living away from Ohio has made me appreciate my friends back home, but I wonder what it will be like when I leave Northern Ireland? I have made some really good friends here, but will I be able to keep in touch with them when I return to the states? We shall see....

As I was having my wee think about friendships and relationships, I also mused on my reasons for being here. I thought to myself with a smile that one reason was so that I would have those moments of mopping or window washing to think about the important things in life. At OWU I didn't have time to stop and think. I was always on the go or had something that I should be

doing. I'm busy here, but not too busy to think. And of course I'm here because this is something and somewhere completely different from what I know. Who knows, this could be good preparation for another challenge later in life. Maybe I'll end up living abroad again at some point. Anything could happen!

Happy days!

These are happy times here in Ballycastle and here's why:

1. All of the volunteers are back under one roof! For a while, three of our volunteers had to be off-site for two weeks due to very unfortunate circumstances. Fortunately, those circumstances are being worked on, and they are all back now.

2. I worked with a great group of students this past week who made me laugh so much! They were lots of fun to work with, and their programme was really interesting to participate in. They went to the cinema, the shopping mall, and did fun things like archery and rock climbing. And then of course there was the disco (dance) on the last night they were here. Some of the kids asked me and the other volunteer, Jason, if we were getting dressed up, cause they were all getting dressed up to the nines, of course. We hadn’t really thought about it, and didn’t have fancy clothes to dress up in, anyways. So I suggested that we raid the arts and crafts dress-up boxes and made some funny costumes. We ended up looking very nice if I do say so myself. Wouldn’t you agree?

3. I led an amazing worship on Tuesday morning. It was a worship based on a book called Letters for Peace published by the Royal Mail. It contains letters advocating for peace written by young people from all over the UK. I chose three to be read out during the worship: one from an elderly woman to the young lad in the red jersey who assaulted and robbed her, one from a boy to a pesky mosquito, and one from a young man to God asking who’s in charge of this chaotic and cruel world. After the letters were read out, I passed out paper and pens for all those there to write their own letters for peace.
As I was setting up for worship, I remembered that there was a group of high-functioning mentally disabled adults in the village. I didn’t know if they would attend worship, but I figured that they would understand the concepts of letter writing and peace, so the worship plan should be suitable. It ended up being far more than suitable. It was perfect. About 10 people from the village group came to worship, and they loved it. They wrote and drew such moving pieces. A few people volunteered to share what they had written or drawn, and we were all so humbled. The leaders of the village group were very grateful that the worship was accessible for their participants, and the staff and volunteers from the centre were grateful to have witnessed such a moving worship. That sure started my week off on the right foot!

4. My parents came to visit! Their visit was unfortunately shortened by a cancelled flight, but we still had a good time with the time we had. And they brought me treats! Peanut butter M&Ms, Reeses, and macaroni and cheese! That was pretty exciting, too. Many people have commented that this place isn’t something you can accurately describe to someone who hasn’t been here and experienced the place, so hopefully my parents have a better understanding of what I do here and why I do it. If nothing else, they’ll be better equipped to answer people’s questions back home!

5. I made a new friend in Belfast who I really enjoy spending time with! It’s nice having another place to go to get away from work and whatever drama may be here in Ballycastle, and I’m very grateful.

6. I’m working in the kitchen this weekend, which I always enjoy. So far, I’ve learned how to make scones and pavlova, a dessert named after a famous Russian ballerina. I’m happy to learn these things for selfish reasons, and also so that I can be a greater help in the kitchen, especially since the kitchen is short-staffed these days.

7. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I’m in Northern Ireland! Folks back home have been asking what it will be like to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in Ireland, and I’m about to find out! In a short while, I’ll be heading out to do some field research. I’ll report back when I can!

8. Spring is in the air! Days are getting longer, sometimes warmer, and the daffodils are up! Better weather MUST be in the future which means more opportunities for walks to the beach and to town.