I’ve never been much for birthdays; I’ve always been somewhat embarrassed when anyone made much of a fuss over mine. Anyway, the wife insisted that I take the day off of work, and forgo a $200 Irish wedding to spend the day with her. As we don’t have any days off together, I reluctantly agreed; for all she’s been through married to me, she’s entitled to that at least. Still, I hated to loose the money. After trying on two shirts and three pair of trousers at her behest, I finally declared that I was as well dressed as I ever intended to be, and we went to dinner, considerably more extravagantly than we usually allow ourselves. After dinner, we went up to Flanagan’s for a pint or two (a fancy restaurant, sure, but it had no Guinness), and perhaps pipe a tune or two with a friend who I knew to be playing there that evening. This is our off season; the street was empty and quiet. I walked entirely unsuspecting into an ambush. The house was packed; all of our friends and neighbors were there (and a few innocent bystanders, who’d just stopped in for a pint), many of them in kilts, with Hawaiian shirts and sandals; the theme of the evening. My pipe major piped me in to “Happy Birthday”; there was a huge banner over the bar wishing me a happy birthday and a caricature of a piper with Scotch bottles in his drones, signed by everyone; there was a huge paper maché set of bagpipes on the table that they’d made, with tablecloths and candles on all the tables. They’d blown up and mounted some allegedly scandalous photos of me piping at the Jacksonville Irish Festival this spring; one posed with a beauty queen, the other with a gaggle of scantily clad colleens (it was a hot day). A friend of ours had meticulously baked a cake in the shape of a piper, complete with icing tartan kilt and Scotch miniatures for drones (10 year old McCallan Cask Strength); quite literally a work of art (the cake piper’s beard was jet black; bless her). There was a huge spread of food, and the Guinness flowed freely. Several others had brought pipes, one a drum, Peter sang my favorite Irish tunes, everyone was in tearing high spirits, and the craic was absolutely magnificent! The president of the New World Celts presented me with a certificate of appreciation for all of the fund-raisers and such that I’d piped for them over the years, and they’d all chipped in and bought a record player for me that transcribes music from vinyl albums to CD’s. I don’t know when the last time was I had a birthday party (six years old or so?), or when I’ve had as good a time or felt as loved and honored by my friends and neighbors; it was quite overwhelming.
It's such a nice thing when people honor each other this way. You obviously have affected many people in your life in such a way as to deserve the accolades and celebration. You now have this to warm your heart with for many years to come so this gift is perpetual and personal.
Congrats Emment for bringing joy to so many people! Hope you, and it looks like you did even without the Guinness, had a great birthday.
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Unavoidably Detained by the World
"Irishness is not primary a question of birth or blood or language; it is the condition on being involved in the Irish situation, and usually of being mauled by it."-Conor Cruise O'Brien
Happy Birthday, Emmet. I can only wish I could have that much of a positive influence on people that they'd go to that much trouble for a birthday. These people obviously recognize you as something special.
Great pictures, by the way.
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Caw
"I am a Canadian by birth, but I am a Highlander by blood and feel under an obligation to do all I can for the sake of the Highlanders and their literature.... I have never yet spoken a word of English to any of my children. They can speak as much English as they like to others, but when they talk to me they have to talk in Gaelic."
-Alexander Maclean Sinclair of Goshen (protector of Gaelic Culture)
It must have been quite a party with all this band of musician
You must have a beautiful and powerful aura about you Emmet so that people gathered together to honor you like this. And not forgetting the "wife" who probably did a lot of work to make it a succes as well.
Happy birthday Sir you deserve it I'm sure.
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"Few men are brave:many become so through training and discipline." Flavius Vegetius Renatus
"I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strenght to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." Christopher Reeve
Tangle Goblinwitch: She is only seen in the enchanted moment between sleep and waking
"Never miss a chance to shut up." Will Rogers
Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter. Lullabies, dreams and love ever after. A thousand welcomes when anyone comes... That's the Irish for You!
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