Emerald Isle

This life.. Is it a one you've always wanted?

What are you made of, behind the closed door?

Is there a strain of thoughts pushing you forward or is your mind putting you down, unable to adjust to all world's demands?

Rain is tumbling down with a fury that I have forgotten, while being away from here. The dark, heavy clouds ruin my chances to get outside & enjoy the day. Seems like I'm fading into the sound of drops, after few minutes, it is all I can think of.. I close my eyes & wait.. Praying for it to just.. stop. This is not a simple weather anomaly, this is a way of life here. You run your life to fit the rain drum. You shop, go out, run errands, meet people with a constant reminder of possible rain showers. They are taking away the pleasure of a simple task, turning it into a unpleasant chore, that forces you to leave the comfort of your dry home.

People in here put a lot of thought into making their houses a true home. After all it is where you spend most of your time, since outside, the rain runs the show, nearly everyday. Some days it makes it seem like we are all prisoners of beautiful homes, filled with equipment designed to elude us into thinking, this form of life is perfectly normal. Like it is alright to spend your day in pyjamas, watching movies from dusk until nightfall, taking small breaks to get food, possibly a shower & a smoke. People with children do not have that problem, kids challenge the rain- they laugh at its attempt to stop them. Kids refuse to fall under the rain's reign. Kids set the annual calendar for the whole family, things will get done, rain or no rain. Sometimes it seems, that is the main reason why people decide to have kids here. To have someone to give their life a purpose, make them get out of bed, set their lives into motion. Rain takes away the will & power to do anything unless it is an absolute must. Work, work, work & 2 day rest at home.. or a pub.

This is a comfortable way of life, once you get used to it, there is not much of any social pressure to look good, achieve a lot, have hobbies or talents. No matter whom you are, you will get accepted. Maybe that's why people whom long for something more from life, suffer here the most. Maybe the feeling of being accepted but oh, so hollow inside, never really leaves them. Maybe it makes it easier to take on whatever comes along, with that cheerful, laid-back attitude that announces a full compliance. People here are very good. No other nation can match their openness, friendliness, good-hearted spirit & musical flair that requires no instruments but the strong, melodic, enchanting voices of their own. People here don't pretend to be something they are not. People here do not dwell on misery, failures, obstacles.. People here get a pint. Your life is to short not to have a pint, right?

Pint makes everyone here equal. Whisky does too- but that is not until later during the night. Men, women, married, single, rich, poor, middle class- differences between social statuses are not easily visible here. For some that's a relief. For others, just confusion. United front.. you will see people drinking with their managers here, parents drinking with adult kids, friends drinking with random strangers, old folks drinking with youngsters.. No boundaries, no formality, no judgment. Easy to blend in, hard to stand out. 8 years on the island & I have come to fall in love, hate & finally accept all the ways things get done here. Island makes everyone accept it, in the end. This is how it works here. Not a feisty way, but the laid-back & understanding way. Live & let others live, maybe you'll see them in a pub one day. Not with the fire, but with rain.. Always & forever.. The feckin' rain.