I am currently traveling around Ireland with my partner and loving it so very much. I am enchanted with the people here. They are so warm, kind, and loving. Yesterday (Saturday) afternoon we popped into a pub in the early afternoon/evening thinking it would likely be pretty empty. To our surprise it was packed full of people, mostly in the greying hair age range. There were 4 musicians playing incredible traditional Irish music. It was hot and loud (not usually 2 of my favorite things), but I was smitten.
These people were laughing, talking, greeting old friends. Connecting with one another and enjoying their pints and their fish and chips. Occasionally someone in the crowd would join the 4 musicians and the place would erupt in singing and dancing. And the kindness extended to everyone, including us. As soon as anyone would hear us talk they would say hello and ask where we were from. We are finding this to be true everywhere we go. People are genuinely curious about us. And so kind.
There are not many places, any for that matter, that I can think of in my hometown with this sort of warmth and camaraderie. This sort of group connection. I know I am only seeing a tiny slice of their lives, but I find myself a bit jealous. What has happened to this in the U.S? Was it ever like this? And how do I/we create this for ourselves? I believe we are here on this Earth to connect with one another. We need to be seen and known like we need food and water. Is this true for you?
Let me know~