A Sense for Skerries

Travelling on my own is great but I miss companionship.  I prefer my company to that of just anyone’s but a good friend and travelling partner would be grand, as the Irish say.  I was told to wait for things to come to me.  I need to trust my intuition.  I should have stayed in Derry another day to enjoy the 2013 City of Culture but I missed out because I got thrown when my booking at the B&B didn’t turn out as the internet had said.  And all the possibilities were still there to be had but I just chose to keep going because I chose the path of limitation.  I thought the drive to Waterford would be long so better to make it easier on myself and get going rather than have a 7 hour drive today.  And I think my initial judgement would have been the right one.  Stay two nights, not one, in Derry.  As I drove out of Enniskillen, I heard on BBC Radio Ulster that last night Derry had been a city of music on the summer solstice and hot air balloons had been released into the sky.   

So I followed my intuition this time and took the longer route to Waterford, to stop at Skerries on the east coast just north of Dublin.  I don’t know why but I felt it was what I had to do and I was rewarded with a delicious vegan meal and a soy latte.  The coffees in Ireland are awful, but this one is actually drinkable.   And Skerries is a nice little seaside village although I had expected something bigger.  The food, the spacious and airy cafe overlooking the sea in the distance, and the vast ocean, made my extra detour completely worth the effort, even if I had come to a road block caused by a van on fire.  I hope the driver had managed to get out.  I know also I cannot be far from the sea.  I felt so much better the minute I saw the water.

And there is a painter at my window next to me - I am on the first floor of this refreshing cafe and a young man is just outside painting.  And it is now pouring behind him.  

And what do I see on the wall across the floor from me but words:

It’s an endless road that asks everything  

It is only life  

That lays itself down  

Gone are the ways of the history wind everyone we love will be all around.

Blessings of the heart on us  

Blessing on our hands  

May our feet walk fearlessly As the heart commands.  

Grace is just some birdsong  

Grace is morning dew 

May our feet walk shoeless  

One day out of two. 

And on the wall next to me:

The heart escapes its prison  

As a kiss, or broken bread, or in forgiveness, 

And lives happy ever after  In the guise of simple kindness.  

  --  Patrick K Lanzing 2011

And now as I look out the window, the sun is out and the rain has stopped.