Monday, February 28, 2011

I Feel Good....And I Knew That I Would

As many of you know, I love going to museums. From the architecture on the outside, to collection items inside. From modern "art" to impressionism...from dinosaur bones to historical documents. I love being able to use my senses and engulfing the culture around me. For the past five years, I have been making sure that I do not take New York City for granted. I make sure that I go to at least one new museum a year, while making multiple trips to the ones I love. One of my favorites has always been the MET. There is just SO MANY different genres of work crammed into one building. I'm able to put my headphones on, and enjoy whats around me. From people watching, to admiring portraits, paintings, sculptures and more.

However, the one thing I love the most is the process of actually getting to the museum itself. Unlike the American Museum of Natural History or Ellis Island, there is no subway that takes you right to the admission desks. You either have to take the 6 to 77th and lex, the B or C and walk across central park, or taxi it...And I don't mind. After living in the area for 6 years, I've never gotten sick of walking around the city. I get to take it in. Sure, sometimes you're in a rush and need to get there ASAP but many times, you just enjoy it for what it is. 

One building that has always caught my eye is that of the American Irish Historical Society. It's what seems to be  a small town home sandwiched between two larger buildings. It's architecture is beautiful, and for those who love the Irish culture like myself, the Irish tricolor is hard to miss hanging from the building's flagpole. I've noticed it many times, have many snapshots of the building on my phone/ camera but never dreamed that one day that I would get the opportunity to get to go inside.

My wonderful advisor has allowed me the experience to get to roam the halls of this establishment. For the past week I have acted as a docent to the Jackie Clarke Collection. A wonderful collection from co. Mayo. I've been able to meet and greet with some of the collection's archivists. while at the same time see history in the making. The collection has some amazing pieces in it correlating to themes such as diaspora and the 1916 uprising!  I've got to demonstrate my Irish-American knowledge by providing tours to those who are interested! While many of the tours have only included one-to-two people at max, it has still given me the opportunity to practice my skills as a tour guide. There was never really, a set script to the collection, so each time I'm able to make the tour my own! 

This experience has given me the chance to meet new people, in the field I will someday join. The fact that I enjoy going back each time makes me feel great! I've found something I love doing, which makes my search for continued education seem well worth it and totally justifiable! I Feel Good!

This Weeks Songs 
"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag/I Feel Good" -James Brown

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