Guess what: the Irish are irresistible!
that’s according to the carpenter guy who works in my house everyday. i wake up later than the other housemates, since i have no classes this week, and i stumble downstairs to the bathroom, and every day since the house is still being renovated, i see this carpenter guy, his daughter, and his daugher’s boyfriend, another work guy. this morning i came downstairs and the carpenter yelled, “Good afternoon! No lessons in the morning for you?” and then i had to act awake and sociable and not annoyed that they’d made 8 cups of coffee and used up all my imported dark roast.
but anyway, today he asked me about my roommates. i explained we had a new irish girl, and an irish guy. and i joked that Declan, our irish guy, is quite the subtle lady’s man, having gone on four dates with four different girls in the past week. “that’s typical,” the carpenter’s daughter said. “they’re all like that. it’s the accent, it makes them irresistible.”
even to british people, who also have an accent?
“yes,” they told me, “they’re even irresistible to british people.”
“i went to the dentist one time,” the carpenter started. “and the dentist was a woman, she was quite a big lady, you know, but she opened her mouth and the instant she started talking i knew i’d love her, cause she was irish…”
so i’ve gotten the wrong end of the stick, have i? i’m ethnically a full-blooded irish girl but because of my american accent, i’m doomed to the mediocre status of “that american girl” instead of “that irresistible irish person.” not that i care or anything. i just didn’t know my cultural heritage was so steeped in charm and prowess. i thought all irish people were like my father and grandfather and great-grandfathers and uncle and great-uncles: alcohol-loving catholics with overly-sensitive skin who bang pots and pans when angry, are fiercely competitive and have a penchant for golf and trade union membership. who knew?