Irish and Proud

Before I begin this, I'd like to first say that I am currently writing this article after having woken up at 6:00 in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Some of my writing may seem to be written out of ignorance, and if any should find it offensive (particularly those of the Emerald Isle), I wish to extend my profound apologies and hope you understand that I mean nothing but the best and stand for cultural equality and peace between nations.

I've had several memorable conversations in the past with several people of different ancestries, backgrounds, and nationalities.

Granted, before I go any further, I should preface myself and state the obvious - regardless of whether or not you and I are the closest of friends or the newest acquaintances, it's hard to have a conversation with me without having some mention of Ireland. I am not one given to subtlety. This is not always a welcome trait.

I have had some reactions which surprised me. Very early on in my Irish obsession, someone very close to me asked which Ireland I was in love with - Northern or Republic. At the time, I had either only just known that there were, in fact, "2 Irelands," or had not known that fact at all. Trying to regain credibility in my new-found community, I said, "Whichever is home to the "Irish culture" we know and love." While that may seem like a suitable answer for me at the time, it proved to be somewhat childish and dangerously ostracizing to whichever side I did not pick.

The person, who meant nothing more than the best for me, mind you, responded, "You probably mean the Republic of Ireland - and if you place your loyalties there, then you place your loyalties with the IRA (Irish Republican Army)." I had known very little of the Troubles then, and know not that much more today. He continued, "The Irish Catholics screwed over the Protestant Irish a long time ago." I should note here, that the person I was talking to was what I called "an agnostic Christian," (certainly not Catholic, by any means) whereas I was/am a Presbyterian. I should also note that said person was not saying I should side with Northern Ireland, either. "Northern Ireland has had a lot of violence lately, too." This statement was true - bombings had recently happened in Belfast, Northern Ireland, but the source of said bombing was unclear. It could have been neo-IRA members or terrorists having nothing to do with Ireland or the Troubles.

I had a conversation with another friend of mine. He claimed he was "Scots-Irish," and when I said "Me, too," he said, "Well, I don't mean your Ireland. I'm Northern Irish. I don't care for the other Irish. They persecuted the Northern Irish Protestants." I had heard similar sentiment for the Republic of Ireland from people from England, saying they didn't think too fondly of those "Paddies from Ireland." I should note here, that though I know that part of my ancestry (however small or large) is Irish, I do not know whether it is Northern Irish ancestry, Republic ancestry, or both. I have yet to see the family tree which is kept by a grandparent who lives far away from me.

Do I care if my ancestry is Republic or Northern? Only by the fact that I want to know what part of Ireland I come from - not to find what "side" to be on.

After talking to several people, Irish and non-Irish, I have come to some conclusions regarding my entrance into Ireland.

1) If someone asks you your religion, say, "Christian," or politely decline comment.
2) Don't parade your opposing views in public - be courteous about your views and people will generally leave you alone.
3) The Troubles are long over - Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are generally at peace with each other, yet talking about some tender subjects in a manner other than respectful is a good way to get punched.

My message to people who bring up the old conflicts in Ireland - the ancestral victims who cry, "Your ancestors persecuted my ancestors," and the like is this:

Judge a person by his own actions today, not by the actions his forerunners did years ago - those are not your burdens to bear. Protestants and Catholics all worship the same Christ.

My Ireland is not an Ireland defined by the IRA, or the Troubles, or misplaced nationalism. My Ireland is the warm, friendly community, musical by nature and by proud choice, within a setting of surpassing beauty and forty shades of green. Never meeting a stranger, the newest acquaintance is always deserving of a round of the finest drinks, and tall tales being told with cheerful tongues in cheek. Blessings of good health and fortune are upon everyone from hello to goodbye.

Le gra.

The Call

Two days ago, I was asked what my fascination with Ireland was. I told them what I told many people. I was in love with the culture, the music, and the Guinness history of the Emerald Isle. It was an answer that was comfortable, and I had grown used to answering the question in this way.

Yesterday, I was asked the same question twice in two situations. One was during a live webcam chat on blogtv.com. The second was during my weekly Wednesday night discussion group at the Presbyterian Center on campus. Both of them had the same gist of a different answer.

When I hear Irish music, or I read about Irish culture, or I learn about its history, I feel some connection to what I take in. You may immediately assume it has something to do with my heritage. Yes, I am indeed part Irish...but I'm also part English, German, Welsh, Spanish, and Scottish. So what makes Ireland different from the rest of my countries of origin. Ireland is not where most of my ancestors come from - England and Scotland take the cake in that respect. To my knowledge, there weren't many really notable people in my Irish ancestry - my German ancestors were royalty in some way or another. Wales and Scotland were both Celtic countries just like Ireland. I don't really dislike any of the music of the other countries of origin. I feel like marching every time I hear the bagpipes playing "Scotland the Brave," and England's The Who remains my family's favorite band of all time.

So what puts Ireland above the rest in my book? That's part of the reason I dream of going to Ireland - to find out. Could I be called to work in reconciliation mission work between the Catholics and the Protestants? I'm not on a record search to find my ancestors in Ireland, but I am trying to find that emotional, spiritual, and almost religious connection I have with the Emerald Isle. The mystery further expands the agony of the seemingly far away goal of actually going there.

                          ...but in the end, it will make it all the sweeter.

Le gra.

P.S. My funds took a hit yesterday, due to some financial necessities. A pretty big hit, but I know I'll find a way to pull through it. Gonna be looking for a campus job soon.

Foreshadowing Ireland

I have already told my few readers about having my eyes open to Ireland via a Celtic Woman video on Youtube. To me, that's the "realization" of my love for Ireland...yet it wasn't the beginning.

The actual beginning of my love for Ireland began in high school. I was in several choruses at school, studying under a big name teacher - Lew Cisto, a very kind and encouraging man, who helped many students find their talents. While I don't see myself anywhere near as talented as his most distinguished subjects, Mr. Cisto was very encouraging of the talent I did have.

One day, I happened to come across my favorite song from Lion King 2 (go figure) - "We Are One." I sang it for my parents, and they thought I sounded like an Irish ballad singer when I sang it. I sang it again with Mr. Cisto, and he took a moment to think about it and said,

"You know, Angus, I like that. It really does sound like an Irish ballad."

He didn't say much more at the time, and I put it out of my mind. But later, he'd say multiple times, usually on the way to class:

"Angus, if you exercise that Irish voice of yours and pick up maybe an instrument, you could make a great side living, you know?"

I took it as a massive compliment, but I didn't think much of it. And I'm not saying that I'm going to start trying to make a side living as an American singing Irish music...

                                                                                              ...but you never know.

Le gra.

P.S. Still only halfway to acquiring funds for Ireland. Income is at a stand-still in college. :(

People Who Push You

Throughout your life, you will find people who will push you to do anything, even things you didn't know you would ever want/could/should do. There will be people who will push you to pursue your dreams even when you don't have the strength or motivation to do it yourself. You can't always trust you parents to support your dreams - at least, not in the ways only your friends can. As you all know if you've read my blog, my dream is to go to Ireland - a dream that has proved to be quite challenging to fulfill thus far, but I am lucky to have a few people in my life who push me to pursue my dreams to the best of my abilities.

Celtic Woman Forum - O.k. This one is pretty obvious. My love for Ireland was realized via Celtic Woman, so no doubt I'd be getting some reassuring nods of approval and encouragement from the lovely folks at CWF. Just to name a few - Rich (OldFatGuy), Chris Ropes (CRRopes), shankdee, Chris Brillante, Gaby Brillante, and Sara. (Muah muah to Sara)

I'd also like to point out the folks at Lisa Kelly and Mairead Nesbitt forums. Sure, they may not actually know that they have indirectly supported my dream, but their love for LK, MN, and CW always rejuvenates my spirits and help me push onward.

My Mother - Though she tries to be realistic in ways sometimes detrimental to my dream's pursuit, she has always supported my decision to go to Ireland.

My best friend, Joe - High school friendships die hard when they go their separate ways in college, and the same can be said for my friendship to Joe. When Mom is putting me down and telling me there's no way I could go to Ireland by this coming summer, Joe has always been there to let me vent and get my head on straight.

Holly - We've never met in person - she lives in New Zealand and we met in an online Harry Potter roleplaying game chatroom (don't judge me). In the past year, she and I have reconnected and I have since gone on and on to her about my love for Ireland. Her never-ending support, even though our chats are relatively infrequent in relation to the other folks, is so vital in my race against time and money to find a way to the Emerald Isle.

Kimberly - One of my dearest friends who has become not unlike a sister to me. She has perhaps been my strongest supporter - pushing me to find a plan to make my dream to go to Ireland this summer happen. Without her support, I'd probably have given up on a lot of things including Ireland.

I can't express enough how thankful I am to know these people, as well as how much their love and support mean to me.

Snowed In

Snowing here in Knoxville. The weather threw a giant wrench into my weekend plans. I had planned on going home to Chattanooga, but got a call from my mother saying that the weather had gotten pretty bad at home and strongly advised that I stay in Knoxville.

Mother knows best, right?

To make matters worse, it seems all of my friends are already home, so I'm sitting here in an empty dorm suite with absolutely nothing to do.

But am I gonna let that get me down? NO!

My new Celtic Woman CD came in today, and I must tell you, the past week and a half have been a resurgence of love and excitement for the 5 ladies from the Emerald Isle. First of all, their new CD/DVD, Songs from the Heart, came out a few days ago, so I've been itching to get my hands on them. My CD was delivered to my dorm today. My DVD has also arrived....but it's at home, because my mother had bought it as a birthday present (thank you, weather).

I've been surfing youtube again, watching behind the scenes footage of the new CW special. It's really exciting, because this is the first time you really see the real girls of CW. You see their laughter, their pranks (Lynn stealing the golf cart), their mishaps (Mairead getting locked in her trailer), their gentle annoyances (Chloe: -getting her makeup done- Come back in 20 minutes and I'll stare into your camera all you want), as well as all of the wonderful things long since confirmed by my meeting them, such as their wonderful hearts and personalities.

The goodness that comes from CW is almost like a natural element like fire, water, earth, and wind. Such an element makes me long all the harder to see Ireland and its beautiful splendor. Friends of mine have advised me to go with Tenon Tours over Paddywagon Tours (if you don't know what I'm talking about, look two posts ago). I think I agree with them. I like the idea of living in the great accommodations as I make my way through the Emerald Isle, and I also like being able to have the freedom of being able to explore by myself throughout Ireland. If a group wants to go to the Jameson Distillery, but I want to go to the Guinness Brewery, so be it (the use of alcoholic landmarks in Ireland has no almost no correlation to my plans in Ireland).

My funds have passed the $1,500 mark - halfway to acquiring the necessary funds to go to Ireland. Mother doesn't think that I'll have enough to go by the end of the summer. I hope to prove her wrong...but I'll probably need a lot of help along the way.

Le gra.

Meeting Lisa Kelly, Chloe Agnew, and Mairead Nesbitt

It was a lovely spring semester in 2009. February rolled around faster than January had the month before. January was always a lovely month for me, but granted I'm a little biased (my birthday is January 14th). However, 4 months prior to that particular February, I had ordered my friend Natasha and I a pair of Celtic Woman tickets to their showing in Knoxville along with a pair of meet and greet passes. As the months counted down to weeks which counted down to days, it was getting harder and harder to sleep as I kept getting more and more excited about seeing my favorite performers and meeting them in person.

The wait was not without worry, however. I had learned from the lovely throng of members at celticwomanforum.com that I would not meet every member of the group. At typical meet-and-greets, only 2 of the 5 performers came out to greet the audience, and it was a random process as to which of them came out to the greeting. Lisa Kelly being the first of the group I ever saw and heard, I desperately wanted to meet her so much. That said, meeting any of them would have been truly a wonderful and memorable experience. But in the back of my mind, I had set aside a goal to meet Lisa, as my adoration for Ireland had been realized for the first time by hearing her dulcet tones.

The last day in February finally came. Natasha and I were ready to go, so we made our way to downtown Knoxville to the Knoxville Civic Center to see the women from the Emerald Isle.

3rd row seats, dead center.

It was truly a magical experience from the beginning. From the windy and echoing opening stanza of "The Sky, The Dawn, and The Sun" with Mairead's pixie silhouette against the fog and smoke, to the finale with all the girls clapping along with their adoring audience and waving their final goodbyes, I was wowed and amazed. After the night, my cheeks ached from the wide (not creepy) grin I had on my face the entire night.

More details than that. Listening to Lisa singing "The Voice" just a few meters away was a wonderful memory I will never ever forget. Throughout the show, I would find that my smiles and simple clapping gestures to her would often get reciprocated from her to me (read the entire article, and you'll find the full extent of said reciprocations). She'd grin or do a slight wave from her hip. To my astonishment, a lot of the girls did the same, but the ones who did it the most were Lisa and Chloe.

In the middle of "You Raise Me Up," a spotlight went through the crowd and stopped right above me, lingering there for a moment before spreading out to the rest of the orchestra pit section of the audience. For that brief moment where I was engulfed in the light, the girls seemed to turn and sing to me as I lip-synced the song back to them. Another memory etched deep within the archives of my brain.

After the amazing show was over, it was time for the meet-and-greet. Excited though I was, I was also anxious about a few things. I wasn't sure who was coming to the meet-and-greet, and I wasn't sure what I was going to say. As for the latter worry, I eventually said during the long wait, "Screw it. I'm just gonna wing it."

Finally the meet-and-greet coordinator came out. "Good evening, everyone. The two girls that will be at your meet-and-greet will be Chloe..."

Damn the girl for pausing! My heart skipped so many beats. What lasted only about a second and a half lasted forever in my mind.

"...and Lisa."

If I coulda done a back-flip without looking utterly ridiculous in front of the small crowd of people at the meet-and-greet, I certainly would have. Going over my lines which would soon be forgotten when I got to the point where I'd use them, I looked to Natasha for strength. Granted, my dear friend Natasha is a very darkly sarcastic person, so looking to her for strength was like looking to a horse for cow's milk!

From the door behind the table with two chairs came two of the most stunning women I ever seen. Chloe's bubbly smile greeted us first, her blond hair shimmering in the light above her. "Hello, everyone!" she said brightly. Lisa came out second, her hypnotic smile scanning the crowd with an equally bright "Helloooo!"

Waiting my turn gave me time to take some much needed breaths of air. As I came up to Chloe, she extended her hand with a bright smile, and it was at that time I realized that she had an amazing pair of eyes much like Lisa's, and if I remember correctly, they were an intoxicating blue.

"Hello! My name is Chloe!"

"Hi! My name is Taylor."

"It's so nice to meet you, Taylor! I saw you down there in the third row. You looked like you were having a good time. You were all smiles and singing along. I almost thought I could hear you up on stage!" Oh my God, this goddess recognized me!

"Thank you! It's very nice to meet you, too. I must say, Chloe. I've been watching the Celtic Woman specials for a while now, and I must say your voice has grown so much and you look absolutely fantastic."

"Awww! Well, your check is in the post! You can take a seat right here and stay all night!"

We laughed and chatted a little more as she graciously signed some memorabilia for me. Chloe quickly became almost like a "buddy" to me as you'll see later in this article (I hope you've kept up so far).

Time to meet Lisa. Be still, my beating heart.

Handshake. "Hello, Taylor. Nice to meet you! I'm Lisa, and I also saw you down in there smiling and singing along."

"Hi, Lisa! I wasn't sure if you could see me, because I've been onstage before, and I know those lights can blind you."

She told me that the people in the orchestra pit were easy to see, because they were just under the lights that darken out the rest of the audience.

"Lisa, I love your voice and I love "The Voice." It is my favorite song, and I must thank you so much for inspiring me to find out about my Irish heritage."

"Oh, really? What have you found?"

"Well, my search has only just started, but I can tell you that my last name, Gibson, comes from England, Scotland, and Ireland."

"Oh, yes! My neighbors back in Dublin were Gibsons! What a small world!"

"Speaking of which, Lisa. Remember the song you sang for the Slane Castle special, Caledonia?"

"Yes."

"I go to school here in town, and my dormitory sits on Caledonia avenue."

She laughed, we said our goodbyes and shook hands and parted ways. Natasha said my face was so red. Well, the girls were probably used to blushers.

Natasha and I quickly called our mothers as we walked to the car, beaming with excitement and joy. It wasn't until after we finally reached out cars where we (at the same time, mind you) hung up our phones, took one long breath, and promptly screamed, "They recognized us!"

Part 2

Not long after the Knoxville show, I ordered another pair of ticket/meet-and-greet package for another friend and I for the show in Nashville, Tennessee. Don't need to go over the details of the show as they were the same as before mentioned except for one major difference - the interaction between me and the girls.

This time, I set in the second row and dead center. As I sat there, smiling and singing along, I caught Lisa's eyes as they neared the end of a song. When it was time to applaud, I clapped and put my two hands to my lips and blew a kiss at her. I was surprised to see her pucker her lips and kiss back! As Billy Mays once said, BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Another song, this time, a Lisa solo. Again, I blew a kiss at her, and this time, she put her hand to her lips and blew one back! That, coupled with the reciprocated winks I got from her and Chloe made for a very happy me.

Time for meet-and-greet. This time, it's Chloe and Mairead. I was so excited to finally meet the Pixie of the group.

There they came in. When it was my turn, I shook hands with Mairead.

"Hello, I'm Mairead. It's lovely to meet you!"

"Dia dhuit (Hello in Irish), Mairead. I'm Taylor. Nice to meet you," I said as I handed my Irish textbook.

"Oh, are you trying to learn Irish?"

I said yes.

"That's very cool!"

"So tell me your secret, Mairead. Is it Gatorade?" I was referring to her seemingly never-ending energy as she sprinted around stage, danced, and played the most amazing fiddle solo's you will EVER see in your entire life.

She laughed and said, "Nope." We chatted some more, and she was so kind (although she did appear to be a little tired).

Time for Chloe. I was surprised to see her reach across the table to grab my hand."

"Hello! How are you?!"

"Hiya, Chloe...Do you remember who I am?"

"I do! I was talking to Lisa backstage, and she said, 'Taylor from Knoxville is in the second row,' and I said, 'I know!' We love seeing you out there. You're always smiling and singing along. You're an inspiration to us."

We have just lost cabin pressure.

My friend next to me patted my chest and said, "Chloe, you've made the night for this poor little boy." Chloe laughed as my Irish textbook was presented to her.

"Oh, are you learning Irish?"

"Indeed. Dia dhuit, Chloe. Taylor is anim dom. Conas ata tu?" (Hello, Chloe. My name is Taylor. How are you?)

She replied in Irish and I still kick myself to this day for not asking her what it was she said.

Another wonderful memory forever etched in my mind.

I am happy to announce that I will be seeing them yet again in April here in Knoxville. I can't wait for it! I'll be sure to blog about it! Thanks for sticking with me.....those of you who are actually reading this out there. :-)

Le gra

My Ultimate Goal

My ultimate goal, my dream, my quest is to go to Ireland. I've saved up for about a year now, and am halfway to my goal of three grand. That money will pay for a 10+ day bus-tour going all around Ireland, as well as food, souvenirs, and (I hope) plane ticket. If it's not enough for plane ticket, then that means more saving.

And more waiting.

I'm usually a pretty patient person. However, in my unspoken goal to learn as much as I can about Ireland, my patience wears pretty thin. Ireland is so beautiful and so full of places I long to see. As it is now, with no income until the summer, I will probably not get to Ireland by the end of this coming summer, which is my biggest wish. I will probably have to wait till the summer after to go, which while I'd finally reach the ultimate go of actually going to Ireland, is unbearable for me to think of in regards to the wait. One of my good friends advised me to advertise my Paypal account to see if people would donate to the cause. -shrugs- Maybe it'll work. If you're feeling so inclined to help me, if you find it in your heart of hearts to send a young man to Ireland to achieve his dreams, AND if you're in a good place financially, my e-mail for my paypal is taylorgibson@msn.com.

I'm stuck between two different bus tour providers - paddywagontours.com and tenontours.com.

Paddywagon tours All-Ireland Deluxe Tour Pros:
Cheaper (but not by much)
Goes all around Ireland (including Belfast in Northern Ireland, a place I want to go to as it was where the Titanic was built).

Cons:
Feels restricted to bus travel, a lot of time spent in a bus.
Doesn't seem to be a lot of freedom to do as you please.

Tenon Tours Irish Immersion Luxury Upgrade Tour Pros:
LOTS of freedom to do as you please, something I hold very dear.
Goes to most of the highlights in Republic of Ireland (not Northern)
Goes to Cobh (Titanic's last port of call)
Accomodations are second to none.
Truly immersed into the Irish culture.

Cons:
Little pricey
No Belfast (However, I could always do a 2+ night tour of Belfast at a later time)

Let me know what you guys think I should do...that is if anyone's reading this blog.

Le gra