May 29
Shortly before retiring I took up Bodhran lessons with a Gaelic musician, Niall. Although we both now live in Maine we both have roots in Cork. Niall would regale me with stories of stout-soaked evenings in the pub when he was a teenager - the drums a-banging and the girls whirling in their potato dresses. I would hit the drum repeatedly holding the beat furiously as Niall would tell me these stories. Niall has since gone electric but now I am retired I have plenty of time to practice my drumming skills and rekindle the memories of my fatherland. Ultimately, we all live to the beat of the drum.