Irish humor may be the cure for what stresses ya'

Irish humor may be the cure for what stresses ya'
Word@TimesRecord.Com
Shades of Green — By Katharine Rose Gergosian, Special to WoRD

In my short stay here in Cork, Ireland, I have quickly come to appreciate the fun-loving nature of the Irish. There is always time for a bit of laughter or light hearted humor. I had a taste of this during an orientation session at the college. As with any introduction to a new school or program, the information was dry and straight-forward. A fellow student raised his hand and directed a safety question to the officer from the local guardia (police department).


He asked quite seriously, "Is jaywalking a violation in Ireland?"

The officer responded, just as seriously, "Nine times out of ten, if you don't get killed, jaywalking is OK."

And then he chuckled in perfect comedic timing.

Now Irish teasing can almost appear sarcastic to the untrained American. I remember my first trip to the grocery store. I was walking on a main street in the city, and cautiously approached a busy intersection. There were people waiting to cross on the other side, and so I made the choice not to press the crossing button. A man came up behind me, pushed the button and in what I interpreted as a gruff voice asked, "Well, did you think the light would change on its own?"

That day, I was immediately embarrassed, for I felt the man was being critical of my action or lack there of. Today, I probably would have joked with the man, for he meant no harm and was waiting for a quick witted response.

The way Irish folk give directions is a lovely example of their amusing spirit.

Recently, I found myself on a search for a class that was going to be held in a building not marked on my campus map. I asked a university security guard for directions and this was his reply:

"OK miss, you will have to go across town, but don't worry, it's really quite simple. Find the river. Then locate the coffee shop. It's the one with the yellow umbrellas out front. There will be a park right before it, just follow the traffic circle halfway around. Then, find someone, anyone in the area, and ask them if they know where the hospital is. Then, once you find the hospital, there will be a bridge. Cross it, go up the hill, but don't follow the sidewalk. Find the sewing shop with the baskets in the window and then you will see a long hedge. Stay to that side until you see a building that will look like a church. It won't be the first church on the hill, as there are many right there, but keep looking for the one that has a University College Cork sign that is tacked to the inside of the front wall. Once you find it, you're there!"

Needless to say, I was confused and it did not get any better. The yellow umbrellas were not put out for the day, and the baskets were missing from the storefront, so I was completely thrown off course.

When I arrived panting, late and frustrated for my class, I quickly realized I was not the only one who had the same experience.

I took note of how the Irish students were handling the same situation. They found the missing umbrella and basket landmarks funny, and all in a day's mishaps, or perhaps the antics of the gnomes. They were not stressed about being late for the class.

The professor had the same reaction as she commented, "What a nice opportunity to tour the city of Cork, eh?"

Ah, yes, what I appreciate most about Irish humor is how it can soften the rough edges of daily living and brings perspective to what is truly important. Perhaps if we were more apt to taking life a little less seriously in our country, there would be more time for laughter and poking fun. We consider this child-like, but in Ireland, it is an antidote for the stress Americans know only too well.

Katharine Rose Gergosian is a 2005 graduate of Mt. Ararat High School and a junior at the University of Maine at Farmington studying secondary English education. She recently spent a semester abroad in Ireland at the University College Cork. As the recipient of the George J. Mitchell Peace Scholarship she is devoted to sharing her experiences with others and bringing cultural awareness to those on both sides of the ocean. She can be reached at katharine.gergosian@gmail.com.