Failte!

I'm excited to share my adventures with all of you! I want your first taste of my life in Ireland to be this poem that I wrote very late one night when I was a Junior in College. Its meaning seems eerily prophetic now. More than anything, I've created this blog to make the actualization of this life-long dream of mine visible to those I love: my friends who are my foundation, my endlessly supportive family, my mentors and co-workers who inspire me, and my former students who have given me enough satisfaction and fulfillment to last two lifetimes... Have the courage to believe that your wildest dreams can come true.

Is fhearr fheuchainn na bhith san duil, (It is better to try than to hope)

e
Mourn (A Seaside Peak in Southern Ireland)

The dark, earthen sod saturates her fair feet,
but briefly since she frolics fast in knee high
blades of greenest grass that blow dizzily in the Celtic-sea air.

Her wool skirt, stiffened by ware of evenings past
is splashed by cresting waves that break
against a beach blacker than her hair.
Those once stiffer fibers were loosed by nights upon nights
of hanging perfectly on his line before being wildly blown dry
by the crisp Hibernian salt air.

The pair sits to rest a while instead of dodging
breakers or skipping paler stones.

"Indian summer's here," he says softly,
but all of summer here feels like the edge
of autumn to her, even though she grins in agreement
as she dangles her pale, soft feet off Achilles' peak,
where Erin's vermillion-gold sky meets
an ocean that is grey with years.

She sleeps with her eyes closed tight most nights.
He asks her if she believes in Tier-Nan-Og,
and she asks him if he believes in anything eternal.
Outside the tide is rising, or it's receding—
She never can tell but for the strengthened smell of
salty freshness strained through his light, lace curtains.
She thinks to herself that he is like trying to hold the sea 
and she imagines the water running between her fingers--
clenched so tight.

And so, the night calls her out of her sleeping,
like daytime chides her into dreaming.
She slips her white fingers through the holes of an old loose scarf
that affords her more company than warmth
on these newborn autumn evenings. She is off-- 
Night clouds reflect emerald from land to sea,
And the tara that she never eyes from long hours of
staring too far into star blanketed skies,
feels cool against the thickening pads of her pallid feet.

Elisabeth Lewis (2005)

01 September 2011

The Gift of the Magi

 I know what you're thinking from the title--out of season, right? But hear me out....

Today was a big day. Today I met my Magi, Aidan O'Sullivan, my department head. It was a hot day actually, and by that I mean above 70, so "hot" when you're running so you're not late for your first meeting with a professor. I told you I'm running all the time!

View from bench where I will eat lunch outside the Arch. building
The meeting had to do with my last post from the US. Do I stream Heritage Site Management or Prehistory? I sat down with Aidan for a bit and realized pretty early on that he seemed to read my mind, or maybe I'm just that easy to decipher. Regardless, I told him about my dilemma: the practical pull of Heritage Site Management, job opportunities and learning applicable skills for managing sites and excavations. I started to bargain early on--"Maybe I could take a couple prehistory classes on the side, even though that's more than 90 credits" and "Maybe I could audit if I can't sign up for more than 90 credits then"-- We talked about what my dissertation could be if I streamed Heritage Site Management: The importance of ethical conservation and protected digs. AND THEN we talked about Prehistory dissertations: links between Egyptian tomb art and Celtic burial mound symbols, Bronze age adornments (Yay torcs!). He also mentioned that Prehistory modules have several field trips to notable sites in Ireland. I obviously lit up when we were talking about Prehistory, and Aidan asked me why I was even considering Heritage Site Management, so I told him. Flat out. I want a job, and what's more, I didn't want to disappoint anyone, and I should need some sort of specified skill to do this.

His eyes were wise and knowing as he talked about his own experience getting a MA in Archaeology 30+ years ago: how his dissertation was one of the great achievements of his life, how it was artful and an important part of himself. Then he said these words that I will never forget:  We don't choose a course of study because we think it's the right thing to do or it will make us "good."  We choose a module that impassions us because just by doing so we become better people, Ms. Lewis. I don't mean to guide you too much, but if I were you and felt as you do, then I would choose Prehistory. Regardless, you graduate with a diploma that says Master of Archaeology, and if you apply to jobs in places that have rich Prehistorical landscapes like Europe or the American Southwest, then they're going to look at your modules (courses) and see how qualified you are. Remember, it's just one year of school--do what you love, or I'm afraid you might live to regret it. 

Right? Is he a blog subscriber?? Get out of my head! Needless to say, this is (hopefully) my schedule for the next year. Candace and I will enroll tomorrow morning! Note my HSM course sneakily tucked in there second semester...

Semester 1
Adv. Archeological fieldwork (10 credits)
Researching Archeology I (5)
Key Issues in Prehistoric Archeology (10)
Bronze Age Society (5)


Semester 2
Researching ArcheologyII (5)
Art and Ritual in Prehistoric Europe (5)
Research and Thesis (5)
Heritage Site Management in Ireland (5)


Semester 3
Dissertation, Due August, 24th 2012 (40 credits)


I feel so lucky and extremely happy to have these courses and experiences ahead of me. Being back in the realm of Academia was scary today. I found myself choosing my words extra-carefully, and being self-conscious about how smart I sounded, especially with my American accent sounding unusually young and simple in conversation with that old, Irish, breathy wisdom. I guess that's just something I'll have to get used to. Being a classroom teacher really inflates your intelligence ego. Which reminds me...
Dear kids who have checked on me, specifically Angelina and Abby--I do NOT feel smart at school. I feel really self-conscious and worried that it's not going to come as easy for me as it does for other students, but I feel confident that because I'm doing what I love, I will succeed!! I miss you and think about you all. the. time. Because "alot" isn't a word.

The Gift of the Magi is a Christmas story by O. Henry that my sister and I read every Christmas Eve, and I read with my freshman last year! In the story, the two main characters sacrifice what is most important and valuable to them in order to have a proper gift for one another. It doesn't make sense to squander their only money. In fact, it's impractical, like many of the choices we make in life, but it sure did make them better people, and I like to think that that's what we're all aiming for.

I'm going to leave you with this music video by an Irish band, The Script. The storyline pays homage to O. Henry, who is from North Carolina, by naming the two young characters after the characters in the Gift of the Magi, because they makes similar sacrifices (I'll let you watch and listen). The first person to respond with the famous character names gets a special treat from Ireland! I tipped a street musician for playing this (beautifully, might I add) on Grafton street yesterday, and he smiled a very Irish grin and told me I had an amazing accent--haha! Exotic American that I am.

"Eight dollars a week or a million a year--what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on."


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5 comments:

  1. Magan02 September, 2011 01:02

    Jim and Della!!!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Suburban Avenger02 September, 2011 05:05

    halloo this is pete ... need to get around to changing this avatar! can't wait to read more! annnnd I feel like a total geriatric for saying this but can you use a bigger font? Like ... just leeetle bit bigger? <3 you either wayyyy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anna Kate02 September, 2011 20:21

    So glad you feel good about your choice, I am sure it's the right one! Can't wait to hear about classes.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Elizabeth03 September, 2011 14:05

    Your classes sound amazing! Can't wait to hear more about them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Far03 September, 2011 15:51

    I'm really happy you chose the path that is right for you (says the art major). Look, people hire people, not degrees. Remember that!

    And I agree with Mr. Avenger. Bigger font, please. And I count for two because I have a degree in design (or maybe it's because you love me - since it's just a word on a piece of paper!!) :-)

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