Homecoming

3000 miles seems a long way to travel to share in the company, craic and stories that are part and parcel of the fringe alumni associations’ homecoming. I cannot however think of any other laborious journey being so worthwhile than a visit to the world renowned Nanny O’Briens and a chance to catch up with Paddy and Wop. Like all things though the night was over all too quickly and I was forced to contemplate the finite nature of all that we do, as well as our struggle against it. I read recently, and unfortunately I forget the author, ‘We subconsciously know that existing is all there is and so we strive to achieve things to perpetuate an invisible existence long after our body is gone.’ And so we write, talk and communicate in the hope that by doing so we will be remembered for longer than just the duration of our interactions. Finite is the nature of our lives but a life of shared words belongs to the realms of infinity. Over the weekend I had the absolute pleasure of listening to stories that arose from moments in people’s lives that, in being shared, broke the bonds of our finite existence. It is now an everlasting moment because it was shared; slainte to Paddy, slainte to Wop, slainte to PaddyWop. We are all capable of summoning eternity through the expression of moments in our lives and so let us embrace life, listen attentively, express emotionally, live moments, share moments and live forever. And so finally thanks to all to took part in the fringe alumni associations homecoming – the night shall be committed to memory and remembered for years to come. Fittingly though I would like to end with the real Yeats who can express it better than any of us could ever wish to:

Think where mans glory most begins and ends
And say my glory was I had such friends.