The Final Week

As we came off the rush of having visited Derry and learned of the Celtic Calendar, we entered into the week of uneasiness and rampant emotions. Since the First Week we have dealt with an active volcano and people we feeling the pressure of it by way of flight delays and nervousness. This was mixed with most of us feeling the desire to be home, even though we were enjoying ourselves, caused by homesickness and familiarity.

As we entered the week and finished our Gaeltacht Studies, we all began to get back into our groove. It was an excellent session followed up with a week of more music, dancing and stories. It ended with a potluck dinner with stories and songs all around. In the end we all settled in and finished it up with some mighty craic.

As I sit here in Dublin, on our final evening, I am filled with a deep bittersweet feeling. I miss my daughter, my cats and my king size bed, I know I will miss my new friends, beautiful landscapes and all the stories I could possibly get on recordings. I have so much more to get and it leaves me wanting to make future trips out here.

What it has shown me is how to overcome personal dilemmas,rise above petty feelings and to harness that inner gift for gab that I have. It has also prepared me for future trips, in so many ways, and even makes me eager to undertake another one.

As I head home in the morning I know I will shed a few tears; not for sadness but of the prospects of what lay ahead of me. In all this I have discovered a world that I had no idea existed. Places filled with meaning and ancient names and ruins that are just waiting for us to discover and learn about. It has shown me that there is only one way to overcome ignorance to the world around me. Through education, through communication and understanding we can open doors.

War does not need to be this cataclysm. Imperialism does not need to be the mechanism. We could all learn a lot from our neighbors, be it Canadian, Russian or European. By learning what it is they have undergone, what their histories are and what their people know can we overcome this path of blissful ignorance.

By learning their stories, songs and languages we can bridge the differences with understanding and compassion.