And We're Back...

Hi everybody! It has been too long since I last posted. Things got very busy once I landed in Richmond, and finding the time to write became increasingly difficult. But, as I said earlier, this blog is not just going to end, as I intend to continue to learn and explore issues related to teaching and intellectual disabilities. Below is a post that I wrote while on the plane from Paris to JFK on July 21st. I want to go ahead and get this posted so that I can move forward with getting caught up on my most recent happenings.

I have had some time to begin reflecting on my experiences in L'Arche, but know that this will be an ongoing process. I am currently 32,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, heading to JFK airport in New York after first flying from Dublin to Paris. I have begun jotting down some notes of things I want to mention about L'Arche. Today, I want to touch on the concept that L'Arche is a place where life happens. For me, a large part of life is comprised of transitions, and how those transitions are handled. In my short time with L'Arche I observed Communities experience many transitions, including marriage, death, seeing new assistants arrive, saying goodbye to assistants who had completed their time, dealing with the concerns surrounding a fellow core member who was in the hospital, etc. I also saw how beautifully it works to raise a young child in the environment of Community. When I say that L'Arche is a place where life happens, what I mean is that whatever happens, it happens to the entire community, not just the volunteers or only the core members. Although I had a hard time believing it before I arrived, what I found to be so spectacular is that the support within a communitiy is a two-way exchange.


So much of my preconceived notions are shaped by what I have seen in more typical group home settings in Virginia. Too often, what I have seen are that the people who work there are just that, workers. Do not get me wrong, there are some very nice group homes with very good staff, but ultimately, they are there to receive a paycheck. Also, they work in shifts, clocking in and clocking out based on a schedule, and not necessarily the needs of those who live there. In L'Arche, everyone "lives there," volunteers and core members alike.

Now, let me end this post the way I intended to end the last one; by acknowledging my amazing wife, Rachael. I think that through the tears and tissues from last night's tearful post, and the impending 2:30 wake up call, this managed to slip my well-intended brain. Rachael has been my one constant over the last 13 years. Through the good, the bad, the difficulties, and the celebrations, her love and support has been unwavering. She has been an anchor and a steadfast pillar of support. She sees in me things that I cannot, and encourages me to be the best me possible. For these reasons, and many many more, I am so happy to have her I my life. I love you Rachael.

 

Posted with Blogsy

July 20, The Last Day in Ireland

Today has been quite bittersweet for me. I am excited about heading home to see and hug my friends and family. I am looking forward to knocking some of the foods off of my dream list that I have been missing while here: Mexican food, Italian food, BBQ, ice. I am glad to not have to re-pack everything that I own every couple of days. However, I do not want to leave this country and all that it has shown me; and the weather today does not make leaving any easier. I think one of our waiters last night said it best when he stated "Ireland is always beautiful, but when the sun is shining it is absolutely magical." We had to leave the castle in Donegal early this morning so that we could have the car back to Dublin on time without incurring any further costs (but that is a different story). When we stepped out to load the car the sky was an unbelievable shade of blue. It was a beautiful day to drive, and as we drove the clouds grew into big fluffy white shapes. As John Mayer sings in his song 3x5, "mountains in the sky are next to mountains anyway."

This photo has not been enhanced, that was really the color of the sky.

Our route took us through the southern edge of Northern Ireland for about an hour of our four hour trip, and it was magnificent. A large portion of that had to do with the shining sun, but the landscape was stunning. We did not have time to really stop and soak in the surroundings, but Rachael did snap some pictures while I was driving. Looking back at the map now, we drove along the south side of what is called Lower Lough Erne. Again, the landscape looked completely different than the area we had just left, less than 100 kilometers behind. As we drove, Rach and I had an earnest conversation about the possibility of changing our plane tickets and squeezing in one more day, but ultimately decided against it.

The last few days have been an extraordinary conclusion to an unbelievable month of growth, learning, highs, lows, and impact; and I am typing this with tears in my eyes. I am so grateful. This has been an amazing experience and I appreciate having had the opportunity to live it. It has made an indelible mark on my life, and there are so many people that I want to thank for the role they played in this adventure.

The Community Foundation and the R.E.B. Committee for funding and supporting teachers in their quest to grow and experience things that are far beyond the financial grasp of most teachers.

My parents and family for supporting me and encouraging my pursuits, even when they did not understand what exactly it was that I was doing.

Jim McClung for opening my eyes to the world intellectual disabilities and cultivating my desire to explore a life of serving others.

My Camp Rainbow Connection family who welcomed me at the age of 15 and have provided me with support, guidance, encouragement, and an outlet for ideas ever since then. Martha Stokes for working so hard to maintain and promote this ministry, and her personal support. Bill and Ann Burch for planting the seed of exploring L'Arche.

Stuart Nabors and Alison Marchetti for their support and assistance in editing and proof reading my R.E.B. application forms.

The faculty and administrators at James River High School for supporting me and my students.

My students and their families.

The breakfast club: Jenette, Chef, A'Leigh. Thank you for absolutely everything. You guys rock.

All of my friends for being there along the way.

Please know that this post Is not the end of my blog. In fact, it is not even the end of my R.E.B. experience, as I still have two more major conferences to attend during the next school year. I plan to continue to write and update this site consistently to reflect my experiences, so please keep checking back, or join as a follower. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Mom and dad, we found an Esso station, but the Burger Chef proved to be more elusive.

Posted with Blogsy

Donegal...My Homeland?

For anyone thinking about visiting Ireland, I implore you to include the north-western portion of the country in your itinerary. This, for me, is the Ireland I see in my mind when I daydream. I thought Sligo was a great little city. Then, the hour long drive to Donegal was absolutely beautiful. To the left was the ocean, and to the right were mountains and farms. I think one of the most interesting visuals for me has been standing in the middle of farmland, while looking down on the ocean. We have plenty of mountains, farms, and shoreline in Virginia, but not in this close of proximity.

Shortly before leaving on this journey I learned that the Early name comes from Donegal. For this reason I wanted to make sure to include Donegal in my trip around Ireland. As we drove from Sligo toward my ancestral homeland, we were beckoned by the Bluestack Mountains. The lovely lady in our GPS guided us towards our hotel, and we turned down streets lined with cedar trees. I was shocked by how much the north -west of Ireland reminded me of the landscape of America's Pacific north-west. Although I have not spent a lot of time there, my brother lived in Portland, Oregon for a few years, and I had the chance to visit him. The landscape, the climate, the attitude, the moss covered trees all reminded me of Oregon.

Unfortunately my trip to Donegal did not turn up any direct information about my heritage. However, if have discovered alternative names that could be where the Early last name started. It is likely that the name O'Maolmocheirghe was phonetically anglicized into the following variants: O'Mulmoher, O'Mulmochery, and O'Mulmohery. In the translation -moch means early, and -eirghe means rising. Already, with just these variants I have been able to find more information about my lineage than ever before. Strangely enough, on our first day in Donegal we had an encounter with a gentleman who knows local Early families.

Before I leave this post, I must highlight our last two hotels. They have both been phenomenal, but they are very different. In Sligo we stayed in The Glasshouse, a very modern building with unique lines and a vibrant decor. However, on the contrast, in Donegal we are staying in Lough Eske Castle. A legitimate castle, dating back to 1621, updated and renovated, but maintaining the regal tones you would expect. Below are some photos of each. Tomorrow we drive about four hours to Dublin to prepare for early morning flights back to America. I am not sure if I will be able to post in the next few days, but I will try.

Unique enough for you?

We were in a corner room over looking the river.

Understated, I think not.

The room

The rushing river below

One of the many statues on the estate

Our room. We got a huge upgrade because our room was not ready.

Sitting room

Fancy bathroom

Our view

Not our rental car

An iris for my mom

 

Posted with Blogsy

Adventure Pants Strike Again!

Generally speaking, I fancy myself as being a very observant person. However, I must have been distracted by the weather and the impending drive to Sligo to realize that Rachael was again wearing her (cleaned) 'adventure pants.' One of the things we had said we wanted to do while on our trip was to get tattoos to remember our time in Ireland by. We both have a number of tattoos, and I like the idea of getting new pieces from different places. This being said, I could not pass up the opportunity to get an authentic Celtic design while here in Ireland.

For those of you who know me, you know that I over research and over analyze all major purchases. (And often times even the not so major ones.) The same went for researching tattoo artists and studios. When I Googled 'tattoo shop Sligo, Ireland' there were exactly 2 results, so I researched both of them. When we got into town we tried to check in to our hotel, but our room was not ready. We walked up to the L'Arche shop and talked with a nice woman there. Following that conversation, we went in search of the shop we had settled on. Unfortunately there was a note in the window saying that they were closed for the week. Next, we headed to the shop that I had decided against, but alas, that artist was also unavailable. The body piercer jumped on his phone and called his buddy who had a shop up the street, but that I had not seen online. He said that he could fit us in if we could wait three hours.

Those three hours were tense for me because this was a big purchase, and I was not able to do my typical research. But, Rachael was wearing her adventure pants, and the coincidences continued to pile up, pointing me to feel more comfortable with this option. After trying to pass the time by visiting stores, we headed back to the tattoo shop. We were immediately put at ease after talking to the artist, and moved forward with working out the design details. Rachael drew her own design, one of her famous sheep. I was in search of something called a triskele (try-skeel), which is also known as a triskelion or a triple spiral.

The triple spiral is a design that I fell in love with, and is loaded with meanings. It is a Celtic and pre-Celtic symbol found on numerous Irish Megalithic and Neolithic sites, perhaps most notably side the Newgrange passage tomb, on the entrance stone, and on some of the curbs tones surrounding the mound. Various religions have used the symbol to represent their beliefs, including many triads such as: father, son, holy ghost; land, sea, sky; past, present, future; birth, life, death; etc. Also, the flow of the design generates the feeling of motion, and can represent growth and forward momentum. I knew that this was not going to be an easy tattoo, but I was not expecting it to take 4 hours. Basically each section was gone over three times; the interior line, the putter line, and the fill. I couldn't be happier with the outcome and the consistency of his line work. So, if you are in Sligo and want to get a tattoo, I would highly encourage you to visit Isaiah at Fat Cat Tattoo located in the Market Yard. You can see his site here: www.fatcattattoosligo.com .

So, without any further adieu:

Posted with Blogsy

Tuesday, July 17 - Sligo

Our goal today was the town of Sligo, which is on the north eastern side of the country. We had breakfast at the hotel and checked out around 9:00. The GPS and the computer both said that the journey would take three hours. This estimation of time could have been correct if we were driving on marked roads and had more than 100 feet of visibility. I would love to tell you about all of the wonderful things we saw while driving, but unfortunately I cannot, because we could not see anything. It was not fog, but very dense, fine misty rain that impeeded our vision. Also, the roads requir all of my attention. It was as if they were mocking me and morphing themselves into even worse roads with every comment I would make. At one point I exhaled deeply, let out a "whew" and said "that was a crazy section of road." No sooner did those words pass my lips than we approached a sign proclaiming the upcoming section of road as "Corkscrew Hill." And boy was it! For most of the trip we were averaging less than half of the posted speed. Needless to say, we ended up adding an hour to our travel time.

L'Arche Sligo does not yet have a community in terms of homes and day support options, but they are working on it. They have a group that meets on a consistent basis for social activities, and they are working towards developing a more traditional L'Arche community. Currently they operate a second hand store as a fund-raising effort to fund their future endeavors. We were unable to find the shop as we drove into town, so we decided to try to check into our hotel, and ask for assistance there. Surprisingly, one of the receptionists' mother works for the shop. This was both amazingly coincidental and extremely helpful. She was able to give us walking directions, and loaned us umbrellas as well. After talking with the kind volunteer at the second hand shop we proceeded to peruse many of the shops in town. Based on the rain, it was an awful day for shopping, but we soldiered on. Rachael is on the hunt for an Adidas jacket for several reasons: 1- she has always loved Adidas, 2- Ireland is an Adidas happy country and everyone wears their stuff, including full out track suits. While walking around, we decided to stop into an Italian restaurant for a pizza. We ordered a pepperoni pizza, and were shocked to find that their 'pepperoni' is our 'hot dog.' The first slice was weird, but after warming up to the idea of pizza and hot dog united, we enjoyed the rest of the meal. This is all for now, but check back soon, I will be posting more tonight.

Posted with Blogsy

Liscannor and The Cliffs of Moher

Yesterday, July 15, was a driving day to get from Cork to Liscannor. It took about three hours to drive here, but it was a nice day, and we love traveling together. Rachael makes a great co-pilot, entering information into our GPS system, and handing me gummy bears in regular intervals. The weather was a bit bi-polar, goin from rain to sun to rain to sun. Everything brightened up as we were pulling into Liscannor. We took advantage of the weather and walked around the very small town, ending up at a pub with a nice outdoor sitting area and wi-fi. While Rachael typed her blog and I checked my e-mail I had an interesting encounter with a local man who had been drinking since breakfast. He started off by calling me Osama Bin Laden, then moved along to confim my thoughts of how I am viewed in this country by calling me a giant. Once we had gotten our wi-fi fix we walked a couple of doors down and had dinner. I again had seafood chowder as well as Irish stew. The stew was delicious, and was made of beef soaked in Guinness, carrotts, all over a mound of mashed potatoes, and drenched in a rich brown sauce.

The view from our room: 317

Later that night- look how far the water receded

A nice horse in town

Today we woke up excited to head to the Cliffs of Moher. However, it was terribly rainy and windy, and our enthusiasm quickly mellowed. After having breakfast in the hotel we went back to the room and took a nap. I mean, we had been awake for all of 2 hours after all. When we woke up we were glad to see that conditions had improved outside. The cliffs were absolutely amazing! Although visibility was reduced because of the low clouds and ever changing weather, the views were breath taking. Also, the wind would be blowing so hard that you had to lean into it just to keep your footing, then, all of a sudden, it would stop and your body would lurch forward, giving you a very unsettling feeling that you may accidentally throw yourself off of the cliffs. I took a few minutes just to soak it all in: smelling the salt air, feeling the whirling winds, watching the waves crash against the jagged stones below while birds soared effortlessly around the stone walls. Although I wanted to move ever closer to the edge just to get that one picture, their many signs warning about the dangers of doing so won the war with my psyche. While we were walking back down the weather really took a turn for the worst, and we took refuge in the visitors center.

The Cliffs of Moher

Splash!

Bird in flight.

We spent the rest of the day visiting local stores and shops, including those in the seaside town of Leacht. As we ate our dinner we could watch suffers fight the currents in pursuit of the perfect wave. By this time the weather was epic: the kind of weather that they sing about in songs from pirate movies. Upon our return to the hotel we walked out across a large rock bed to get some more photographs from this side of the Atlantic Ocean. We climbed our way across the stones, then up the wall of of the harbor entrance. I was very happy with the pictures that we were able to take. Tomorrow morning we leave early for the town of Sligo.

Brave surfers

Mural behind the t-shirt shop

The little harbor

Posted with Blogsy