Book Talk!

Being that it's St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd share a bit of something personal. When I was 17 I made my first trip to Ireland and it was definitely a unique adventure. To give you a little background, let me tell you that back then, as a small town beach bum, I did things I wouldn't recommend any young lady do. That said, I was a free and easy spirit who trusted everyone but maintained my responsibilities. Meaning, still being a student, I brought some work along with me to do on the various train and boat trips.

I was reading up on Voodoo [Vodou, Vodon, etc] for a paper due when I returned. The book was Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis. I found the subject interesting and the book taught me a great deal about the subject I, up to that point, had only preconceived ideas and a brief amount of facts to work with. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best reading choice for a young lady traveling alone. I remember people asked questions and were genuinely curious, but it wasn't all peaches and cream.

Why?

On the train from the west coast back to Dublin, I shared a table with an elderly couple and another American [w/guitar] guy [maybe in his early twenties]. The chatter was friendly and by the time we pulled into the station, I decided the guy wasn't out to hurt me and it would be safe enough to walk with him to one of the hostels. I'd been prepared to return to the b&b I'd stayed in upon arrival but the guy said the hostel was a good one and located in the city center.

Fine and dandy, except the guy turned into a stalker type and seriously scared me! In the late afternoon, he started sending people into the women's dorm for me and I didn't understand why. Eventually, I told one of the ladies sent to hunt me down that I didn't really know this guy and he was starting to scare me and she kindly arranged to put me into a married persons room with a lock on the door. I was happy and content. Later on, I ventured out on my own. After picking up something to eat and simply walking around, I came upon a spontaneous U2 concert on the outside balcony of a local hotel! Wow, it was so exciting!

The next morning I ran into the stalker guy and I remember his attitude was a little scary as he explained not being able to get me out of my room. Let me tell you, I felt so bad when he explained he'd heard about U2 playing a few blocks over and knew I'd liked them.

Oh man, he wasn't a stalker after all! It was my imagination having run amok - surely it was that books fault! I relaxed my guard a bit and went with him and a group to go walking about. Everything was fine until we were separated from the others and he suggested we go into a pub for some pints. Yup, the gates in my head clanged shut and I left.

Reading choices or not, he was creepy, but I loved Ireland and went on to read more about Vodon [and not simply for the paper].