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Tomorrow we will find shamrocks and leprechauns adorning our world, people dressed in green, corned beef and cabbage served to all, and maybe more than a few people drinking a pint of Guinness, all because tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a day when the Irish are especially proud to be Irish – and a day when they have no problem showing that pride.
It’s also a day when many people from different backgrounds claim to be at least a little Irish. After all, as it has been said, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.
The best part of St. Patrick’s Day is that it’s all in fun. Nobody worries about any deeper meaning or complains about too much commercialization. It’s just St. Patrick’s Day – wear a little green, eat some corned beef and celebrate with other Irish folks.
St. Patrick’s Day is a day for the Irish to celebrate their heritage, just as Cinco de Mayo is a day to recognize Hispanic culture; Oktoberfest, a time to remember German heritage; and Black History Month is a time to be reminded of the contributions of Black Americans.
Those are the times that America can really celebrate its diversity. Everyone is not only a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, they are also a little Hispanic on May 5, a little German in October and a little Black in February. That’s the kind of diversity that doesn’t have to be taught or legislated or mandated. That’s just who Americans are.
We may not be able to trace our bloodlines all the way to Ireland, but we can still feel a part of the Irish heritage that has become a part of America’s heritage. The Hispanic culture is an even bigger part of America today, and many of us have adopted Mexican food or music or dance as a part of our own heritage, no matter where our ancestors came from.
Americans should be most proud of the diversity that comes from sincerely appreciating the cultures of our friends and neighbors, from honoring the various people who make up this country, from adopting a little of the history that each group contributes to America. America’s diversity makes it great.
So, let’s celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green and making a toast to Ireland, but let’s also celebrate the diverse cultures that we celebrate each year in America. And, after all, May 5 isn’t that far away, and we can have another party then to celebrate another culture.
Have a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day.
On another subject, we heard a lot of comments on our recycling column last week. We were impressed with the number of people who make the effort to reduce the amount of trash that goes into our landfills. It really seems like Rio Rancho is filled with people who care about their environment and will take the necessary time to recycle.
John Zarola, outreach coordinator for the Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service, reminded us about home composting is another environmentally friendly opportunity for recycling organic matter. The Master Composting Association will offer a free home composting class at the Esther Bone Memorial Library in Rio Rancho on April 13 at 10: 30 a.m. Composting has always sounded like such a great idea for helping our backyard plants grow better, but it also sounds like there is a lot to learn about it. For more information, check out the website www.nmcomposters.org.
Common Sense appears on Saturdays. Contact the Ryans at ryan@abqjournal.com.<br> — This article appeared on page 16 of the Albuquerque Journal
