The Ireland Journal usually begins as soon as I arrive in Ireland. That didn’t happen this year. My blog fell victim to jetlag and exhaustion. I’m happy to report that I’m full recovered and in possession of my motivation. Let the blogging begin!
The back of this bus was the sight that greeted me when I stepped out of the terminal at Dublin airport on Sunday morning, May 30. At first I just saw the larger line of text: "A great story is in the detail". Then I saw the web address below that ends "takestories".
Take stories. I know the participants in Study Abroad Ireland will take lots of pictures. Those images will illustrate their time here, document their experiences, and prompt their memories and their stories. They will certainly take those stories home and share them – well, some of them anyway.
The students in my class, The Irish Storytelling Tradition, will have the opportunity to take other stories home. Those stories – the folktales, myths, and legends – will find homes in their imaginations.
These old stories have a place in the landscape, and they can't just be taken. They must be treated like honored guests; respected, honored, and most importantly told. When treated correctly, the stories can travel with us anywhere. Even back to the desert.
