Brendan O. Remembers How St. Patrick’s Day has Changed Him Over the Years
By Brendan O.
The refreshing smell of spring in the air, loud marching band music and hundreds of people striding up and down the street in emerald green hats and attire. That is how I remember St. Patrick’s Day as a kid.
Waking up early to go to the Pearl River St. Patty’s parade, vendors ambling around selling everything from cold drinks to stuffed animal leprechauns, it all comes back to me as I reminisce about my childhood while the days grow nearer to that holiday when everyone is a little Irish. Being a very Irish youngster I remember loving the day and being filled with a sense of Irish pride throughout my childhood. I was always filled with a delightful sensation on this day.
The way I celebrated St. Patty’s Day changed over time as I approached my teenage years. When I was a little kid it consisted of me going to the parade in the morning, followed by a get-together at my grandmother’s house to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland. My whole family, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends, all gathered together, dancing, playing games and being engulfed in the merriment of the day. Of course there was alcohol around, but as a kid I had no interest in that foul smelling liquid that the adults seemed to impossibly stomach. However, when I reached my teenage years I began to become more and more interested in the effects it had on people.
I was thirteen the first time I got drunk. It was shortly after the death of my mother. I remember loving it like nothing before. It was a magical elixir that took away all of my worries, fears, anxieties, troubles, and sadness. After the first few times I stayed away from it for awhile until I was introduced to marijuana. Soon after that I was drinking and getting high almost every day and St. Patty’s Day, the day I loved to celebrate as a little kid, was just another day to get messed up. It was another way to justify my out-of-control using.
My habit soon progressed even further and I quickly became drawn towards harder drugs such as cocaine, heroin and LSD. St. Patrick’s Day no longer had that magical feeling and it was just another day in my wretchedly miserable existence. I cared about nothing, not my family, not my friends, not even my life, except getting high.
By the grace of God, help from my family, everyone at The Family School, and a little luck of the Irish, I am sober today. I can once again enjoy the delightful feelings that this holiday bestowed on me as a kid. I am looking forward to many more St. Patrick’s Days spent with my family and friends.
