Volume 19, Number 10 Thursday, March 13, 2003 A Bit of the Little Bit by George A. Bowie There was this woman on the phone to a talkshow host and her voice was turned up so as to be heard miles away and the chap with the microphone told her not to be so angry and she said to him, “I’m not angry, I’m Irish.” The Irish, such as herself, seem to have ways of being different from other people in the world for whatever their reason. For certain they are able to support such distinction in this about them, that Ireland is the only place in the whole world, to my knowing, where it is said there are leprechauns. I had no intention at all to be thinking about leprechauns when I went to Ireland a few years back on a writing assignment. It was the afternoon of a day during which I had spent most of the time interviewing people and the doing of a pub in the Sandymount section of Dublin, a nice place which I had visited on previous trips and was glad to be back there. Shortly after seating myself at a small table, with my back to the wall from where I could survey the scene of it all, there came through the far door and the near door a collection of jolly folk. These were young men and young women who were evidently regu- lar patrons, as possible to assume since they made for a certain portion of the bar, and greeted the counterman as a close acquaintance. Continued on Page 2 Page 2 March 13, 2003 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.bbpnet.com/ Published and Printed by THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also Subscription Rates delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. 1 year $28 6 months $16 3 months $10 1 month $5 A Bit of the Little Bit Continued from Page 1 Having exchanged the news of It sounded very much like the first leprechaun their day and being served their was involved with the first rainbow and I said so. I customary quenchers they quieted also said that made it sound sort of biblical. It also for the space of a first sip during meant that Noah had been the first human to see a which one of the girls noticed leprechaun. me. “Right enough,” Frank said. “You will remember there “You’re a Yank,” she said. I admitted to that and the was something about a couple of the old fella’s boys word went around among them. getting him a few gargles which may have had some- “Mind if we come over?” she said. thing to do with it.” No need for me to answer. They were enroute while the question was being asked. Drinks in hand they dragged stools from other tables and sat around. There were introductions and talk about America and some venturing into politics on both sides of the There were other responses from other folks in water. A change of course in the conversation seemed other places. appropriate so I asked about the current play at the “There were the first settlers who came here and Oscar Theatre, not far from where we were. I had seen the second settlers came after them.” McCarthy, the “Peg ‘O My Heart” there the last time I had been across. academic, had the floor. “The first settlers were stub- No more live shows at the Oscar they told me. by little folk and the peaceful enough. So, when the Not since the one that had a nude girl starting things next lot showed up, with their bad tempers and being off by coming in front of the curtain to say, “Ladies taller and all that goes with it, those who had been and Gentlemen, may I have your attention?” here before took to getting themselves out of the way “Imagine that, in Dublin of all places?” said one. by going underground. Ever since then, in Ireland, there “It was a howl of a show,” said another. “But the lep- have been people on top of the ground and people under rechauns closed it down.” They were agreed about that. it.” Later, back at my accommodation, houseman, So it went, wherever I did, including Limerick Paddy, got the bathwater running with the help of a where there was no end of home-made intelligence from raw potato which he jammed on the top of the drain the geniuses gathered in Liam’s place, with himself opening from which he had removed the sleeve. directing the flow of traffic. “I’ll leave the spud in case you need it,” he said. “It’s The off-duty policeman advised that I talk to the one of them leprechaun tricks.” English because they talked to leprechauns all the time, a habit of theirs which had profound side effects.... Nuldoon had sold me a shillelagh that after- Why leprechauns in Ireland? No one seemed to think noon at his shop with the it was odd that I asked. assurance there was nothing “Well, we do have an abundance of rain now, don’t like a tap on the head for water we? It’s what keeps Ireland green, doesn’t it?” Frank on the brain. “Leprechauns now, wasn’t really posing questions so there was no need is it? You’ll do better askin’ the lep- to interrupt his thought with answers. rechauns to explain the Irish rather “So, we have a great supply of rainbows.” Frank than the other way around.” squirmed back to a comfortable sag in his chair. It was worth a try and Des was “What do you do with rainbows all over the place and just the lad to try it on. He is an no use for them whatever?” March 13, 2003 Page 3 Irishman and analyzing is part of his profession. We sat in his parlor which was a bit more formal a place Open ‘til 6 p.m. than our acquaintance required but Des and his boys Evenings were building a boat in the kitchen. They would have to remove a kitchen wall to get it out but the wife had been wanting a larger kitchen ever since they bought the place, so no harm done. Des told me the Irish need- ed their leprechauns. www.littlehousefashions.comElegant Apparel for the “Otherwise we would have only the British to [email protected] Conscious Woman blame for the way we are. There’s that awful business Women’s Apparel of guilt about ourselves. We aren’t what we should be and we know it.” COMFY SLEEPWEAR We had another go at a “round collar,” which is a short form of referring to a pint of Guinness. “We hide behind our leprechauns and we don’t by Karen Neuburger have to feel all that responsible for what happens. Take that business about the pot of gold at the end of a rain- bow. It’s a sort of reproach to our spendthrift ways. Money means a lot to our leprechauns because it means very little to our- selves.” There were no lamps turned on in the room. The late twi- light and the flick- erings from the fireplace made for a sort of seeing which helped the thinking. “We are a pessimistic people so our leprechauns are the optimists we are not. They have all the fun we think we would like to have, but shouldn’t.” There was the sound of a car swinging into the drive. There would be other things to talk about. Des got up and so did I. “But most of all our leprechauns are useful in that they are a little more odd than we are and that helps to explain where we get some of the daft ideas.” “Like building a boat in the kitchen?” I asked. The philosophy behind everything that “Exactly,” he said. Karen Neuburger produces begins with comfort. It’s attractive enough to wear almost anywhere, including driving the kids to school. 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TTurnurn RightRight on Alexander MondayMonday-Friday - Friday 9:3010 to to 6 7 Saturday Saturday 9:30 9:30 toto 55 Page 4 March 13, 2003 Imagination Station Receives Grant Imagination Station Child Care Center’s Executive Director Deborah Chubb (front row, left) and Board President Dr. Janice Katz (front row, right), accept a $20,000 contribution from Fifth Third Bank’s Cindy Mandich (back row, from left), regional retail manager; Tom Dwyer, banking center manager in Michigan City; and Erik Back, regional manager for business development.