Happy anniversary to the Smyth clan. Thirty nine years ago, the nine of us boarded a plane and left Ireland to come to Canada. I remember almost everything of that day. I remember leaving Ireland with tears streaming down my face and I remember the smoke filled cabin of the airplane and I remember the ride from the airport in Toronto to my aunts house in St. Catharines. Back in those days, there was a roundabout at the Niagara side of the Burlington skyway. I remember watching all the lights and seeing the immense size of Canada and being scared.
I am so thankful that my parents made the decision for us to come here. Canada has provided all of us with the opportunity to live different lives than we might have had in Ireland. I am proud to be a Canadian, I love Canada and all that she stands for. On the other hand (there's always another hand), I am so proud to be Irish, many claim to be Irish, but few are really Irish by birth. I can find the house that I was born in on Google maps and as in a previous post I talked about my significant longing to "go home". My sister Margaret (I have three other sisters, although they are not named Margaret) and I are planning a trip together to "go home" next year in the fall. I can't wait.
On another note, I was watching the pre-game stuff for the Monday night football game last night and was appalled that they would give air time to the middle linebacker of the Ravens as he tried to get his players "up" prior to the start of the game. During his rant to a few of his teammates he exhorted them to take a player out. This is just a day after another NFL player was seriously injured and the network has the gall to play video of a player saying those things. Does anyone else remember Darryl Stingley? He was paralyzed by a hit by Jack Tatum (They call me Assasin) and he eventually died of complications in 2007 from the paralysis? I am all for forgiveness, if you know me well, you know exactly where I stand on that matter. I just don't understand why anyone would trumpet the rantings of a player with such a checkered history.
The network was at the least inconsiderate to those who have been injured on the field of play. But (there I said it), these are the days when a lot of people watch full contact fighting (whatever it is called) and call it a sport. We are treading so close the days of the real Gladiators again and we need another person who will stand up and say that this is not right.
Happy Tuesday everyone...............Slainte
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