Thursday, January 3, 2008

Want in on a weird secret?

I wish I was more Irish. Or even Irish at all. (my mother says I'm part irish, but I'll tell you, I've never seen an irishman in my family tree.)

Anywho. I love the Irish. I don't know what started it. Maybe it was marrying into the Red Sox Nation. Maybe it was visiting Boston on my first Fenway trip. Maybe it was on one of my many business trips to Boston (good lord, you have no idea how excited I was when I found out my new management team was based in Boston).

I dunno. But I want to be ~more~ Irish. I want to move to Boston (minus the bitter cold in winter and humidity in the summer). I want to go to Fenway as much as possible. I want to soak it all in.

I'm sitting here listening to dropkick murphys (always loved them) and found my way to "tessie", which reminded me of the sox and then had me ~buying~ neil diamond's sweet caroline on itunes just so I can sing "so good! so good!". Then I found my way into a search of my old favorite irish pub hangout to find out if I could get a copy of my favorite song the local irish singer would sing (The Old Dun Cow).

I find myself loving any movie having to do with Boston (The Departed, Mystic River, etc). I find myself roaming Boston when I'm there, half pretending I live there. No tourist spots for me (well, except fenway). I take the MBTA, making sure I memorize where the fuck I am so I don't look lost. I smile how every man, woman and child has something red sox as part of their person and it's just a part of life (I live in colorado and while red sox fans are everywhere in great numbers, it's still something to notice. I never walk by a sox fan without a "go sox" and a nod. In boston, it's just, well, already known).

I don't know if I'm infatuated with Boston itself or with the red sox. I know it's more than baseball but I can't tell you if baseball started it or not. I've only been a fan since 1998 (I know, I know, but I can't lie and say it was longer) but I've been drinking Guinness that I bought in pubs with my first fake id when I was 19. Murphy's pub was my first hangout. Guinness was my first beer love. I make it a priority to fly to phoenix every St Patty's day to see Flogging Molly. (okay, so I also see every colorado show too.). Our best friends throw a HUGE St Patty's day party every year which I oversee the Irish Car Bomb contest (a local phenomena) and in the year's I'm not pregnant (was two years in a row), I win said contest. Last St Patty's and car bomb win sure made for a fun early morning plane ride to get to the flogging molly show in pheonix. Oh yes, I paid for that one.

I all but stalk anyone with an Irish accent just to listen to them. I'm weird, I know this. And I sit daydreaming right now on the aspect that there is a very real chance I'm going to be asked to move to the Boston area for work. I honestly don't know if the hubby would be up for it though. Although his entire family is from Cohasset, MA, no one is there anymore. All transplanted to Colorado. He loves the mountains and the weather and I honestly don't think he'd want to leave. But for any other place, Boston would be the place he MAY say yes to.

And why do I want to move to Boston? Just to be a part of "it". I can't define the "it", but I sure can feel it in my bones.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Hey Nancy, nice blog. I just have a question, why did you get tattoo's on your arms? The reason I ask is because there is this girl I know, who I like very much, and she has a tattoo on her right arm, shoulder area like you do, she is kinda like you also, same clothes style and what not. I actually like the tattoo on this girl, and yours too.
I am not into tattoo's myself and I am just trying to get a better understanding of why a pretty girl would get such a big tattoo on her arm that is often very visible. Also what about when you get older, like in your 60's, are you worried how it will look then?
exciteops(at)yahoo.com

nancy said...

I got them on my arms FOR THE SOLE REASON they will be seen! For me, a tattoo isn't a little secret I like to have. Like the little rose or heart or whatever some girls get on their hip to show off when they want to. A tattoo, again, for me, isn't something I wanted to not show to the world.

"Why would a pretty girl get such a big tattoo" is suggesting a tattoo is ugly. And I know that the majority think that. They think a tattoo distracts and distorts someone's beauty. But I think otherwise. I think it adds to my persona. It adds to whatever beauty I have. I think most tats ADD to someone, not subtract. So you ask why I would get something like that? It's because I like it.

And of course I know it won't look the same when I'm 60. But that will just be part of my character.

It's like asking someone why such a pretty girl would get fat. "aren't you worried how that fat will look when you are 60?" Or "why would you wear that outfit?" See? it's all personal opinions. And while I understand you weren't trying to be rude, these kinds of comments are rude. If you don't like visible tattoos, then it's totally up to you. But you have to stand in the shoes of someone who you are asking that to and think to yourself "is this a kind thing to say?" Again, I understand you are just trying to get understanding yourself, but to ask me why I would do something you personally don't like? Well, you'll have to see that I obviously did it because I DO like it.

Thanks for your comment :)

Kate said...

I love Boston. I lived there right after college and I feel like I will always be connected to that city. My dad's side came over on the Mayflower, so I guess I am connected in that distant way, but I know what you mean. It's a great city to wander around in.

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure that you ARE Irish, family tree proof or no. Should you need to appear more legitimate, try this lovely product: Irish Accent Breath Spray. Comes highly recommended by a friend who worships all things Irish.

My mom has the same thing with being Swedish. Trust me, wanting to be Irish is waaaaay more explainable (and socially acceptable) than wanting to be Swedish. You get weird looks at the Swedish Club when you're not one lick Swedish and mispronounce all the food items you request.

Anonymous said...

Hey Nancy, thanks for the response. The reason I asked you is because I was afraid that my asking would be offensive, and I didn't want to be rude to the girl I like.
But like I said, I actually like your tattoo's, I think they add to your beauty. And I like the tattoos on the girl I know, I think it adds to her beauty. But I dont think thats true of all tattoos that any girl gets.
I am kind of a preppy guy, went to a New England prep school and college, and I lived in Greenwich CT. for a while, so thats the world I am coming from. And like I said I just want a better understanding. Your response was excellent and has open my eyes some and given me allot to think about.
Warning, I may be back for more advice.

Also, I am 100% Irish, have relatives in Ireland, my grandmother had a brogue that non-irish people could hardly understand, and I hate the Red Sox, I (currently) live in the Bronx :-P However, I do think Boston is a great city. Next time your there, go to Cambridge, its a wicked awesome place, I like it better than Boston proper, and check out the John Harvard Brew Pub in Cambridge.

nancy said...

Boooo. How can you tell me that you Loathe the red sox??? :) I boo your yankees cap you most likely own.

Ahhh.... Irish. ~drool~.

nancy said...

oh yeah - first time in Boston was for a week long of games at fenway and did all the touristy things! :) Cambridge is, in fact, amazing.

Io said...

Well, this crazy Irish is a C*rdinals fan, but I like you anyways.
And I think your tattoos are totally boss.

IdleMindOfBeth said...

Seamus Kennedy fan, are ya? My father-in-law saw him perform live in a little pub in CA YEARS ago, and the whole family has been addicted since.

The Old Dun Cow is a classic, but I love Rattlin' Bog & Mum's Lullaby, too!

jenn said...

okay- I am a euro-mutt- but the most concentrated portion of my heritage is Irish. Only 25% or so, but it's still the part I seem to love the best- so I totally feel you on that!

Also- my in-laws are only an hour from Boston & I love the city too- except of course for the bitter cold in winter & the humidity in summer! ;o) But the best part of Boston is it's relative proximity to Philly- wink wink!

Swim said...

Boston is lovely, I worked there for a while and enjoyed many of the pubs.

I completely understand loving the Irish accents... or just accents in general. I married a Brit ;-)

Searching said...

When we went to Italy we had an Irish tour guide for the Vatican. I will admit that I asked her questions just to hear her talk. :) I wish I was more Irish too. (I am a tiny little bit but don't look it).

jenn said...

a quick ps- ironically after I saw this post last night the roomie brought down the departed for us to watch. Holy shit what a movie!

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I married into Red Sox Nation, too. To a genuine Irish-man.

I've trained the children to call that other team the New York Stinkies.