Ireland Trip: Day 12

At one point in time, I thought I might major in history. Then I realized the massive body of knowledge I would be responsible for knowing (or at least pretending to know) and I bailed out. Therefore, I am always impressed by those around me who are, quote-unquote, history buffs.

Last night, Phil and John, the two employees at the hostel, presented a showing of the film "Bloody Sunday," based on the events of the same name. To introduce us foreigners to the film, they spoke on the subject for a few minutes. As I listened, I was impressed at the knowledge John possesses both on Irish history and U.S. history. The first time I met him, he showed me (and Mom, Molly and Laura, who were there as well) a picture he had taken of the White House. Situated next to it was a picture of Abraham Lincoln, done in an effort to illustrate his desire to not affiliate himself with the current administration.

Shortly after, John expanded on his knowledge of recent events in history, showing a depth of

understanding I didn't expect to find in anyone outside the U.S. I was slightly embarassed at my lack of knowledge of Irish history: All I knew was that the Catholics and the Protestants fought for a while and that sometime in the last century the potato famine killed a lot of people.

Part of what is great about a program like the one I am in is its ability to educate its participants on many levels. What first attracted me to the program was its relation to media and journalism. I was next drawn to the idea of studying in Ireland. But the last thing that struck me, perhaps even as late as since I've been here, is the element of total immersion. It is one thing to study Irish history and culture; it's something else to experience it.

"Bloody Sunday" was a decent film. The acting was good and the film was shot in an interesting manner, cutting between the British and Irish points of view. But what makes it compelling and worth watching is the in-depth look at the story itself. The audience is taken step by step through the day, with a brief look at what lead up to it and what happened after it.

I won't lie: I spent most of the night checking Facebook, writing e-mails and looking at the ridiculous amount of pictures I took yesterday. I was the spitting image of Mom when she watches TV, head down buried in a book or laptop. But, when the climax of the film came, when men, women and children were slaughtered for participating in a peaceful protest, I sat up and gave notice. Gore and violence do not normally appeal to me, especially when they are realistic in nature. This is not what draws your attention, however. The human suffering (which you know really happened) is like a bad car wreck: unbearable to watch but impossible to turn away from.

As John spoke before the film, he said something that stuck in my mind: "Nothing was the same after that."

I have the same feeling about this trip. This is not to say my experience here is remotely as life-altering as Bloody Sunday is and was for the Irish, but rather I have a sense that immersing myself in a culture other than my own has opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed. It's true I've studied and gained a book knowledge of life outside America, but I've never actually seen and lived among it until now.

Amy always talk about how learning is better when you feel a certain amount of discomfort. This is the best example I can think of, and I know my educational life will never be the same after the completion of this program.