July 11, 2019 IT'S A LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY

It's funny.  Some of the most important decisions we make come when we're actually TOO young to know what the HELL we're doing.  I often wonder where I'd be today if I hadn't taken the Road Less Traveled--by accident. Probably living in the projects somewhere--on welfare--a slew of divorces--tribe of kids--NO TEETH. Thankfully--DODGED that bullet--ONLY because I was YOUNG AND PISSED OFF. It really is all just a CRAPSHOOT. I had NO idea how much that phone call would change NOT just my life but also that of my siblings.  Didn't realize that I was the GLUE that held us together or that the relationships we took for granted were over. Forever changed.  I was lucky enough to spend some time with two of my siblings last weekend. We don't see each other often enough but I want them to know that I'm so  proud of them. They've done amazingly well.  They are not only hard workers but also kind, loving parents. Kudos.
 Kate Brady, one of the main characters of The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien, faced many hardships in life after her sad, tragic childhood in Ireland. The Country Girls is a trilogy--The Country Girls (1960), The Lonely Girl (1962), and Girls in their Married Bliss (1964). This wonderful trilogy is the story of two Irish country girls--Kate Brady, forever the romantic, and her best friend Baba Brennan, realist and adventure seeker. Set in 1950's Ireland, the girls meet as children at school. Kate's father is a mean, abusive man who spends all his money on drink while Baba comes from a prestigious family. After being given a scholarship, Kate and then Baba enter a convent school only to be expelled before graduation. In the second book, the girls  move to a boarding house in Dublin in search of love and excitement. In the final story, the girls move to London where they find husbands and realize that married life is not at all what they hoped it would be. FYI--When this book was originally published it was banned in Ireland--religious leaders took offense--too much sexual imagery. Others felt it was a "National Critique."  The book was later made into a film and O'Brien earned the Kingsley Amis Award in 1962.  I really enjoyed this trilogy. The writing is incredible and O'Brien should be commended for bringing long hidden issues to the forefront. It is a bit of a commitment though--the entire trilogy is about 525 pages. BUT you don't have to read the whole thing at once--each book is less than 200 pages. I couldn't wait to read the whole thing because I was completely absorbed in the Irish countryside--the city and the main characters. So it's your choice. The whole trilogy is probably a 10 mile run--total--but worth every step.