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Akron Irish: Ten Years Gone
- iIrish Admin
- November 26, 2024
- Edited 3 hours ago
Table of Contents
By Lisa O’Rourke
Ten years ago, I was standing at the Hibernian Club in Akron. For those who have never been, it is a little oasis, a local Cheers. It is a place that you’ll nearly always find someone you know who has a few corny jokes to share. It is not the place that you would expect to launch a writing practice, unless you’re Brendan Behan.
How Did I Get Here?
It was there that a life altering conversation occurred. My friend, Mike McKenzie, told me that he was tasked with finding someone in Akron who was “reasonably sober and literate.” That is the literal quote. It wasn’t an outrageous stretch for me. I matched those qualifications.
I was an English major, but that means that you like to read, not write. Nonetheless, that conversation led me to John O’Brien, Jr.. He is the Editor in Chief of this paper. If you never met him, when he wants something, he talks too fast for you to get the “no” into the conversation.
So, here I am. Ten years gone, one hundred and twenty columns, come rain or shine.
I Need the Eggs
I am often asked, amidst my rabid cursing around the 6th of the month, (the column is due on the 8th) why I do this to myself? It is a baffling question. The best answer I can come up with is Woody Allen. The scene that sticks is from the movie “Annie Hall.”
Woody is sitting, pontificating as only he can, about the string of failed relationships that have been part of his life. So why does he keep trying? He refers to an old joke.
“This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, ‘Doc, my brother’s crazy. He thinks he’s a chicken.’ And the doctor says, ‘Well, why don’t you turn him in?’ And the guy says, ‘I would, but I need the eggs.
What Eggs?
This is a fair question, and I am not sure that I have the answer. One of the “eggs” is certainly writing itself. Nothing forces practice like a commitment and a deadline. There is no room for procrastination here.
As soon as I submit one of these darlings, I must start thinking about what to write about the next month. Every idea needs a few weeks of bouncing around. Failure to submit will certainly mean a meeting with John O’Brien, Jr,’s wooden spoon. Catholic school has given him a wicked swing.
But you do improve with practice. The ten thousand hours of practice at something won’t make you a genius. But all that practice will surely make you improve.
Meeting Readers
Another “egg” is connecting with the people who read this paper. A small number have written to me to tell me that I am full of *&^%, but in all honesty, most of the time I saw it coming. I stuck my neck out.
Every time an article has strayed into an area that can be perceived as political, I can just about hear the click of a keyboard somewhere, ready to tell me that I am an idiot. It’s OK, at least they read it. The good news is that many more of the responses have been positive.
The strongest responses have sprung from topics that I am passionate about. Those emails always make me smile. You have shared stories with me about what those topics mean to you.
These moments highlight the kinship of shared interests and passions. And, I have made a friend or two. That is the cherry on top of it all.
Giving and Receiving
As an Akron woman, I speak with authority, the conversation that occurs between writer and reader is where the rubber meets the road. In an column, I can share a complete thought without interruption.
Culturally, we have probably never talked more and communicated less. It is tempting to think that this a modern phenomenon. I came across an anecdote from Jane Austen.
She is describing two women meeting as friends. As the two women began talking, she notes that each were “as far more ready to give than to receive … and hearing little of what the other said.” We all feel it. Writing lets you get it all out.
Are We Boors?
I wish that I had a better response to this, but I think that the answer is yes. We were in England a few months back. Experience has made this a country we approach with trepidation. But it is hard to describe how relaxing our trip really was.
A good amount of that pleasure is in direct proportion to the manners we encountered. I am not talking about correct fork positioning.
What we felt the most was courtesy. Far from cutting us off on roads, people pulled into the lay-by if they were closest on the narrow country roads. They were polite in conversation and on the street. We had real conversations with people who did not interrupt or become distracted.
That is how writing feels at the best of times, you get to finish the thought. In the best cases, someone shares a thought back.
Listen
I am sharing a picture that my sister-in-law took at the wedding we attended in England. My first reaction was to laugh. What’s with those hands?
Something pulled me back to it. It is the man. It is the tilt of his head, his lean in, his focus. I realized how rare that is in this world of distraction.
When you write, you are that man. You are leaning in, focusing and communicating. My wish is to speak with you. In Irish, you never speak at, you speak with.
I hope that I do that. Plus, I need the eggs.
P.S. Just kidding John.
[Editor’s Note: Congrats on your 10th Anniversary Lisa. You have been such a wonderful addition to every Edition. So glad to have you on our team, and in our community; we are blessed.]
Read more of Lisa’s Akron Irish columns HERE!
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Lisa O'Rourke
*Lisa O’Rourke is an educator from Akron. She has a BA in English and a Master’s in Reading/Elementary Education. Lisa is a student of everything Irish, primarily Gaeilge, and runs a Gaeilge study group at the AOH/Mark Heffernan Division. Lisa is married to Dónal, has two sons, Danny and Liam, and enjoys art, reading, music, and travel, spending time with her dog, cats and fish. Lisa can be contacted at [email protected].Please send Akron events to my email!
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