Jean's Journal: I'm worn out from visitors!

by Jean Farrell

We have been reading about Junk Kouture in this paper for years. Basically, it’s about designing fashion from rubbish. Our local schools have won prizes for their efforts.

I never actually saw the finished objects until I walked into our library last week. Some of these dresses were on display there. I was fascinated by them. The one pictured above, in particular, caught my eye. It is a dress made from used train tickets!

When I left the library I was accosted by a reader, who gave out to me!

She referred to a situation I wrote about recently. I spilled oil, from a sardine tin, all down the front of a brand new top. “Why weren’t you wearing an apron?” she asked me crossly. “The very minute I step into my kitchen, I put on my bib!” And away she went!

Do you, like me, marvel at the chefs and cooks on television who, not only don’t wear aprons, but wear tops with long sleeves which dangle over the greasy ingredients.

I often shout at the telly, “Roll up your sleeves!” And do you, like me, marvel at their description of ‘a little!’ “Add a little oil/or butter/or cream,” they say, as they pour vast quantities into the pot!

I have been very busy lately in my own kitchen, and I’ll tell you why.

As you know The All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival has been on, in town. Even though most of my siblings don’t live in Athlone anymore, they all come to town to attend one or two plays, of their choice. They stayed here with me and I am pure exhausted having dined and wined two lots of four visitors, for two nights each!

You might ask - could they all not have stayed in a hotel and could we all not have eaten out each evening?

We could. But, here’s why I wouldn’t dream of suggesting it. You see, some of my four brothers are married, in Dublin. Over the years, we have stayed in their homes many times. Our sisters-in-law have made us very welcome always. They’re up early, frying a perfect breakfast. Every evening, a delicious dinner is prepared for us in their homes. How then could we send them to a hotel or restaurant when they visit us in Athlone? (Did I mention that their houses and gardens are PERFECT – more pressure!)

Am I the only one, I wonder, who finds having visitors very stressful, as I get older? I’m still exhausted from it all!

There is great credit due to the committee of The All Ireland Amateur Drama Festival. It is a marvellous national event, of huge interest to many folk. The standard of the performances is top class and we are honoured to have such an important cultural event taking place annually, in our town.

In the middle of it all, we got a new Pope. I have now lived through eight popes. During all the discussions, the most interesting thing I heard was a priest telling the following story, on the radio.

He said he was speaking to an African Bishop, “We are having trouble here in Ireland with seminarians,” the Irish priest told him. He was referring to the fact that we have very few men wishing to become priests nowadays.

“We are having problems with seminarians too,” replied the African bishop. “We have far too many of them. Our seminaries in Nairobi are bursting at the seams with young men who have vocations.”

Turn back the clock to the 1950s Ireland. It was our seminaries then that were bursting at the seams with young men who had vocations.

Between 1920 and 1970 30,000 nuns and priests left Ireland to go ‘on The Missions.’

Our surplus priests were sent abroad, to spread the word of God.

Now, surplus priests, from far-flung countries, are coming here, to spread the word of God. Did we ever think this would happen?

At present, half the priests in the diocese of Elphin are from abroad. I made the mistake of thinking that the Catholic Church is on the wane everywhere. In Africa and in Latin America it is on the rise, greatly.

And, I was surprised to read, that those Catholics want their church to remain as it is. They don’t want women priests or divorced people receiving Communion or most of the other changes we want.

My granddaughter is receiving her First Holy Communion next weekend. Maybe, some of your relations are too. I shall watch the spectacle with interest!

The money the children get from us all will be spent on things we never heard of! We live now in a consumer’s society. I read the following recently and it makes sense, sadly.

'The world is increasingly designed to depress us. Happiness isn't very good for the economy. If we were happy with what we had, why would we need more? How do you sell an anti-ageing moisturiser? You make someone worry about ageing. How do you get people to vote for a political party? You make them worry about immigration. How do you get them to buy insurance? By making them worry about everything. How do you get them to buy a new smartphone? By making them feel like they are being left behind.

'To be calm becomes a kind of revolutionary act. To be happy with your own non upgraded existence, to be comfortable with our messy human selves, would not be good for business,’ wrote by Matt Haig, in Reasons to Stay Alive.

jeanfarrell@live.ie