St. Patrick’s Day the American way

indeed the man that was St. Patrick.

NEWS EDITOR

JLH729@CABRINI COM

When I think of the semester coming to a close and the end of my third year in college near completion, I am reminded how quickly time goes by and how precious each moment really is. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the daily routine of life that we bypass the simple, more beautiful aspects of the world that surrounds us.

We seem so conditioned to follow a certain plan or manufactured blueprint that most of our lives consist of the constant battle to advance and survive in a world where the cost of living continues to rise and success equals money.

From the time we are born, we are thrown into a process in which we spend the first quarter of our lives going through schooling just to be able to eventually obtain a position in the career field of our choice and commit our time to advancing in that field. In the process, years fly by and time keeps ticking.

It would be hypocritical of me to pretend as if I am not so caught up in my work at times that I forget to stop and take in all that surrounds me day to day. However, I have made a conscious effort to enjoy the special moments and to take those opportunities to slow time down once in a while.

We all must survive in a world where the pace is predetermined and rapidly increases before our eyes. The one thing that remains consistent is the amount

Life is not a dress rehearsal and we only get one chance to navigate through this journey and take full advantage of what life has to offer us. There is so much more than we sometimes take the time to notice whether it’s the beauty of a sunset on the drive home from work or the serene silence heard after a beautiful snowstorm.

I remember looking forward to important milestones when I was a little girl. The first that comes to mind is my 16th birthday. It always seemed so far away but then it came and I was driving my new car off the lot before I knew it.

After that, I prepared for the excitement of the big 18th birthday that everyone always talked about. Getting accepted into a college and eventually celebrating my 21st birthday seemed so far off that I didn’t even bother getting excited. After all, everyone always told me how young I still was.

Now my 21st birthday is in the past, I live in my own apartment and the next milestones seem larger than life. I look ahead to graduation next year and the departure into the world of my undetermined career. While my 16th birthday floats further away, marriage and a family become milestones that are closer within my view.

In the past, these milestones never really made me think twice about life and how quickly it has gone.

Although I am still young, I realize how quickly those future milestones will mark their presence in my life.

As I close out my third year in college, I realize what a journey lies ahead of me but how precious the moments along the way will truly be.

COM

St. Patrick’s Day appears to be associated worldwide with a number of things, the foremost being an association with all things Irish. The phrase “everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” does appear to be true as St. Patrick ’s Day celebrations are held in every corner of the globe from Ireland to America to Argentina.

Right or wrong, the day also seems to be celebrated by having a beer or four. It is for these reasons that I have decided to write a few lines to provide a better insight into the feast day, and

Most people will be surprised to learn that St. Patrick himself was not actually Irish. He is widely believed to have come from Roman Britain where he was captured by Irish raiders and brought to work as a sheep farmer in Ireland. He later escaped home to his family, yet returned to Ireland to preach the word of God.

He is widely acclaimed as being the man who brought Christianity to Ireland and it was for this reason that the 17th of March, the day on which he died, was made the national holiday for Irish people and the world wide day for celebrating all things Irish.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many ways. Most people who have ever celebrated it would agree that it is indeed “one hell of a party.” Back home, I celebrate the day for the most part with friends and family. This normally begins with a trip to mass, as indeed the day is one of Catholic obligation in Ireland. Then, we usually travel to Bundoran Co. Donegal, a small seaside town to see the St Patrick ’s Day parade.

Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in the north of the country is sporadic as most Protestants do not celebrate the holiday, and thus many Catholics have to travel southwards to celebrate the feast of the patron saint.

After the parade, my friends and I usually go out and celebrate in traditional Irish style. It was thus of great interest to me to see how St. Patrick’s day would be celebrated in a different country, especially in the United States.

What to do for St. Patrick ’s Day was something I had thought a bit about. I turned down the chances of going to Boston and New York with some of my Irish friends, instead to celebrate the day here at Cabrini and attending the festivities in Conshohocken. Many American friends of mine thought I was crazy but I reasoned with myself that I spent plenty of St. Patrick’s Days with Irish friends and this was perhaps my only opportunity to spend it with Americans.

Going to the parade in Conshocoken was a great experience. I thought it was great the way in which Americans in even a small town celebrated the day in such a fine way. One could almost be forgiven for feeling at home with such a fine display.

The parade was good, the people were friendly and the beer was flowing. As we say back home the “craic was ninety” which basically means it was one hell of a good time.

After the parade we continued to celebrate and a great day was had by all. St .Patrick’s Day 2008 will not be one I forget. It is definitely a fond memory of my time here.