Dear Reader,

Like lots of Irish teenagers, I went to Irish college during the summer holidays. Here we met other young people from all over Ireland, in the hope of bettering our command of the Irish language. It was an immensely fun three weeks and a great social experience. We were split into various houses and sometimes we were tasked with putting on a show or some production for the whole college. I remember once being appointed to write a play for my group. I remember my surprise when the wild boys in our house were happy to go along with my creation; a patchwork quilt of X-Files, Friends, Breakfast at Tifany’s and grunge- a mash up of whatever influences were in the cultural ether during the 90’s - with no recognisable narrative arc! But like so many creative projects, it was all about the process rather than the product. I clearly recall a moment of bemused resignation as the ‘play’ unfolded…a moment where I let go of the idea of a fixed destination.

A willingness to step back and trust the journey has proved a really important lesson in my life. In my day job as a special education teacher - after the planning and the targeting and the reflection that goes with the job - I’ve grown more comfortable with not knowing exactly how something is going to end up. I work often with students with general learning disability and every year we do a play or some creative project together. When I’m not exactly sure how it’s going to pan out that’s when I feel I am on an interesting path. That can be scary. But that process, that uncertainty, is something I’ve grown more open to.

All the best,

Pearse

PS. Playing Anseo in Camden Street Dublin on January 25th for Little Gem, the brill, the varied.