Is the Irish language on her deathbed?

 

While writing this blog, the Chieftains/Sting “Mo Ghile Mear” is on for inspiration. I love listening to the Chieftains because many of the songs are in Irish Gaelic.

Gaelic (Gaeilge / Irish Gaelic) or as it is commonly known in the localization industry, Irish (which may or may not be a misnomer as it is the language of the Gaels), seems to be slowing dying. Irish Gaelic is one of the three Gaelic languages; the others being Manx Gaelic (spoken on the Isle of Man) and Scots Gaelic (spoken in Scotland) derived from the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages.

To quote one linguist, “Gaelic is dying because the Gaels are allowing her to die”. I don’t agree. I think the opposite is happening.

According to my reseach, the Irish people have made a really valiant effort to keep their native language alive but in fact, any language in the world that has fewer than 100,000,000 speakers is most likely dying. Government statistics suggest that only about 3% of households speak Gaelic.

Irish is the only version of Gaelic that has been added to the UNESCO Interactive Endangered Languages List. The slow death of Irish started when the Irish people started to leave the island and move to Canada, US and Australia. However, it appears that the Irish people are slowly in the process of trying to get the Irish language off this list.

Gaelic was spoken as the first language in a part of Western Ireland known as the Gaeltach and is part of the normal school curriculum in Ireland. When the English rule overtook this area, the Irish were forced to learn and speak English when dealing with the ruling officials.

As one blogger put it, as with the Cherokee language in America, Irish is the foundation for various place names having a cultural influence on the modern land. Rivers, mountains, historical monuments, roads and towns all have Irish names. Also, like Cherokee and other Native American languages in America, Irish has been mainly phased out with the use of English dominating the main line of common communication within Ireland.

It is nice to see that the Irish people are rallying around Irish Gaelic so they can save their native language. And it’s a beautiful language at that. So, is the Irish language on her deathbed? No longer!

Say What You Need To Say

As I write this, the John Mayer song is playing in my head.

Recently, I was dressed down for not knowing when to be quiet when another person is in full rage about something crazy. I was told that I should "just be quiet" until it blows over. Never. I will always say what I need to say. When I need to say it. No matter how loud or angry a person is getting with me over some imagined slight, I will not allow them to yell at me and stay still. Nor will I remove myself from the situation and run away. I am not talking about saying something insulting or hurtful just because you feel like it, I am talking about saying what needs to be said. Your truth.

Perhaps that is not the best way to be, but I don't have it in me to be any other way. Since I was a child, my voice and my truth were always heard. I was told that I should be quiet for "my own protection”…but I actually protect myself by allowing my voice to be heard.

The direct approach, for me, is always the best approach. I don't like fillers or nonsense; just give it to me straight up, no chaser. How often do people dance around what they really want to say? People are afraid of the truth. They are afraid of hurting someone else, they are afraid of rejection, they are afraid of speaking what is already being said “energetically” and they are afraid of the unknown. So, they rarely say what needs to be said.

We all do it, at times. We don’t say what we need to say so we stay too long at a job or with people we are no longer attracted to/in love with. We go through the motions of our life whether or not it makes us happy, feeling that the discomfort of the life we lead possibly outweighs the discomfort of the unknown life.

Imagine a world where we all say “yes” when we want to and “no” when we want to. Imagine a world where you can tell someone you really are attracted to him or her without fear of rejection or attachment to the outcome. Imagine a world where you realize that telling a person you no longer love them or can be with them is more palatable than taking the easy way out and having an affair instead...

Imagine a world where we can all just…say what we need to say.

Freedom is a state of mind

When I was a kid, my stepfather used to play the soundtrack to “Shenandoah" over and over again. Of course, I now know every single word to every single song on that soundtrack! During one of my recent walks, I was hearing the lyrics to the song "Freedom" over and over again.

Freedom ain't a state like Maine or Virginia
Freedom ain't across some county line
Freedom is a flame that burns within ya
Freedom's in the state of mind

Freedom is, to me, something that I’ve always had. An innate sense of self apart from anyone else’s approval. Knowing exactly who I am and what I want and this has never wavered throughout college, marriage, my long career or the birth of my children. I’ve been made fun of, laughed at, told I am weird, told I am different, told that I am “unique” and that I march to the beat of a different drummer and guess what? It's all true. I am happy to be who I am because I am who I TRULY am.  There is no mask that I wear. I am who I truly am. Not what is comfortable or acceptable to others or what others think I should be. If I like something, I wear it. I don't ask anyone else their opinion because if I like it, it's good enough to wear.

That, to me, is absolute freedom.

I constantly hear people say things like “I could never do that, my husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other would never allow that!” Really? Does being in a relationship/marriage/partnership mean you give away all your power and are rendered unable to make a decision on your own or that your decision/thought doesn't count? I know I have never said/thought that in all of my 40-something years and I have had many relationships. These people say this about such simple things like playing soccer, going to Bali, naming a child, starting a new job-really very basic things.

When a person tries to control you, it’s a bad relationship. When you give up all your power, you are putting yourself at a real disadvantage. When you don’t cultivate any friendships outside your relationship, you are left friendless when it ends.

Do you want to be on your deathbed and realize that you never did anything that you really wanted to do because you thought others would judge you, not accept you, not "let" you? I think if you are truly honest, the answer is NO.

It’s never too late to allow yourself to be who you truly are. Start living.

Top Ten Reasons I Still Heart Long Island

Inevitably, when your parents and grandparents grew up in New York City (Queens; my mom and Brooklyn; my dad), you will probably end up growing up on Long Island, the 118 mile suburb of NYC. City dwellers dream of a backyard, fresh air, close proximity to the beach and a more private setting.

While growing up on LI, as beautiful and peaceful as it was, I never felt like I belonged there. A square peg in a round hole kind of feeling and I could not wait to go off to college. Somewhere else. I really wanted to go to NYU or Columbia but was not allowed to go to Manhattan for college. Too dangerous, I was told! So, I went to Boston instead and more than 25 years later, I am still living in Massachusetts (if you had told me that at 18, I would have laughed).

Looking back now, I appreciate LI like I never did as a child or teenager. There are so many things I still love about that island and here they are (not in any particular order):

10) My family

When I see the Welcome to New York sign as I pass through the Bronx, I always get a warm feeling. I am home. All my cousins (who are like my brothers and sisters) welcome me with open arms, ask about my life, laugh with me, cry with me, etc. When I leave to drive home, my uncle or a cousin usually checks my tires to make sure I will "drive safe”. (My husband had never ever done that).Once during the beginning of my emotional turmoil a few years ago, my cousin walked me out to the car as I was leaving and as I started to cry, he hugged me and I told him that this very strong girl was really scared for the first time in her life. He said to me, "I KNOW you will be OK; I have known you for a very long time and you have never NOT BEEN OK”…it meant the world to me and I still think about it often. And he was right. I am OK. Better than OK. HAPPY. I LOVE MY FAMILY. Nobody loves you, knows you or accepts you like your family. Thank you for all your love and support for 40 something years. In the words of Billy Joel, You’re My Home…

9) Diners

Anything you want, anytime, anywhere, the diners on Long Island are there for you. They are usually owned my Greek people so the Greek selections are unreal. Breakfast, 6 course meal, sugar free cake, full bakery selection of whole cakes and pies. And always, always, free cookies and mints on the way out. Why don’t other states get with the program and offer these diners? I see them in CT and NJ but nowhere else.

8) The black and white cookie

This elusive half chocolate, half vanilla, half cookie, half cake cannot be found outside the tri-state area (CT, NY, NJ). Massachusetts has imitiations of it but they do not taste anything like the NY original. This dessert is completely worth all the carbs and calories and sugar. I never visit LI without eating one. Or two.

7) Port Jefferson

Love.this.town. I have always loved Port Jeff. I would drive there every Friday night in the summer in high school. Provisions was always my favorite store. I still try to visit there each time I am on LI. Both my kids have grown to love it, as well. There is even a tiny spiritual, new-agey bookstore there now.

6) 80s music

Whenever I turn on the radio, I hear the music that I used to love to listen to when I lived in NY in the 80s. Grandmaster Flash, the Dazz Band, all of it. It’s like my own personal iPod on the radio.

5) The Brennan family

I met my oldest friend when I was 8. This family lived across the street from my grandparents. We are still friends. We still laugh like we did when we were small, there are still Doritos waiting for me when I arrive, we still tease each other about the things we always did. My second family. I don't always get to see them when I go home but I am always thinking about them. Katrina, Barbara, Christine, Ericka, Diane, I couldn't love you more. 

 

4) The bagel

When you grow up on LI, breakfast consists of coffee and a fresh, hot bagel. I ate this every day of my life from ages 5-18 (and I actually started drinking coffee at 5, no joke).

Now that carbs terrify me, I only indulge when I am in NY. Besides, bagels in MA consist of weird-tasting bagels that come in a plastic bag. Awful.

 

3) Mozzarella cheese

What they have in Massachusetts tastes like Monterey Jack cheese. I have never understood why it tastes so different. No Polly-O here in MA; only Polly-O string cheese. It also makes the lasagna taste very different. So sad. So very sad….

2) Men

While I was walking around an outdoor mall this weekend, I said to myself, I have never seen so many fake boobs and beautiful men in one place! Just like they did when I was a teenager, the LI men aged 18-35 take VERY GOOD care of themselves. Always in shape, always tan, nice teeth. Vanity isn’t always a bad thing!

1) Ralph’s Italian Ice

I have always loved Italian ices. My favorite as a child growing up on LI was Marino's Cola flavor. Can you get Cola flavor in MA? Absolutely NOT. You used to be able to get Italian ices (scooped up in a squeeze cup) in any pizzeria on LI. Now, they have this fab place called Ralph's Italian Ice on LI. I could write love poems to this place. Heaven. Ice Cold Heaven. My favorite? Iced Tea, Cola and Margarita flavors. Would like to open one of these in Lowell, MA. I think it would do very well.

Wow, so most of my favorites are food-related. Well, I do have to say that I starve myself and exercise like crazy the week before one of my weekend trips to LI so I can eat everything and anything I want. Let's just say, today, I walked 7 miles to make up for the damage.

Until next time, Long Island…