Top o’ the morning! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you!
I’m not even a little bit Irish, but I love any excuse for a party.
It’s been a busy month of celebrations for me thanks to National Grammar Day (March 4), National Meatball Day (March 9) and National Plant a Flower Day (March 12).
I’d be completely exhausted if it wasn’t for National Napping Day (March15).
But today I feel refreshed and ready to shamrock and roll!
St. Patrick must have been one heck of a guy.
He dies in 461 and 1,560 years later we’re still honoring his memory with parades and pub crawls all over the world. One day a year we celebrate with green donuts, green milkshakes and green beer. And when the wind is just right, the aroma of corned beef and cabbage can travel for miles.
Not a bad legacy.
I know that this year’s St. Patty’s Day celebrations will still be low-key, but at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. And for once that light doesn’t feel like an oncoming train.
As spring approaches, it really feels like we’re turning a corner and heading into the home stretch. The daffodils and tree buds are blooming. The birds are busy and the lawns are growing again.
Here in Currituck County, we’re feeling hopeful about a return to normal.
What happened last March took everyone by surprise. Nobody expected a two-week shutdown to turn into a twelve-month marathon. It was a tough year.
I say good riddance.
That's why instead of looking back and observing the one-year anniversary of a really terrible time, I’m moving forward.
We made it through 2020. We made it through the winter. We made it through the Superbowl 54 Half-Time Show.
Today is our lucky day.
The people of Ireland have given us a perfectly good holiday and I intend to make the most of it.
This year, I’ll be wearing extra green and raising a glass to the snake-chasing patron saint of the Emerald Isle. I might even slip a shamrock into my lapel and whistle a few notes of "Danny Boy." But I draw the line at river dancing, because my knees aren’t what they used to be.
How are you going to celebrate today?
My advice is to do SOMETHING. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. I’m not asking you to break out the Guinness and the bagpipes. But I think we all deserve a bit of holiday cheer and some of that famous Irish luck.
On that note, I'm going to leave you with some of my favorite inspiring and insightful words of Irish wisdom...
"Do not resent growing old, many are denied the privilege."
"No matter how many rooms you have in your house, you’re only able to sleep in one bed."
"You’ll never plough a field by turning it over in your mind."
"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live."
And last, but not least...
"What butter and whiskey won’t cure, there is no cure for."
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Larry Lombardi
Director of Economic Development
