Coming Out !

A wonderful tour of The Emerald Isle, glorious sunshine  happy guests.

As was my usual style I would take some time on the second last day to tell the guests all about my life growing up in Ireland on a farm.

And so the story went relating my childhood, being a parent & now a grandparent taking account of all the changes, not unlike our parents in their day!  One of the major changes I am witnessing in Ireland is the whole debate on Same Sex Marriage. I was aware that my guests may not be totally in favour of this so I didn’t allow my own personal opinions to be known.

Later on that evening a guest, Tom, age 63, stopped me in the foyer of the hotel and asked me how it was in Ireland with regard to young people “Coming out “ now and did the Referendum help them if at all.  We spoke for a while till he asked me my own opinion which I gave freely and also added that I am a parent of a Gay man. His eyes opened wide with a gaze of disbelief & admiration & envy all at the same time! He was “shocked”( his words) at how I spoke so confidently !

He told me that being Gay is still very much frowned upon in his home town. Tom went on to tell me about his nephew, aged 23, who had just “come out “and that his mother ( ie : his nephews grandmother) was extremely  upset and refusing to acknowledge him as a family member because of he being Gay.  This lady is 80 years young, in great health & totally aware. Tom is disappointed at his mother’s reaction but that is her entitlement!

Alas all people react to things differently, and the old phrase “blood is Thicker than water “comes to mind! We chatted openly for some time; Tom was visibly upset but happy to have been able to chat. I don’t believe Tom expected to find, that in Catholic Ireland, someone who would speak so openly and candidly about such matters.

As we parted he said  “ I am proud to have Irish Blood running through my veins, however slight it is and of how grateful he is to have met me “ .

I’m really happy to have listened!