New Friends IX

We went to a little hole in the wall taco joint in Forest Hills and it was incredible. I ordered the shrimp and lobster burritos and proceeded to eat the chips and salsa like it was my job. I was famished by the time I finally got up and ready to head out; I ordered a Heineken and dove into conversation with my date.

I already knew so much about him since we had been talking for several weeks but I'm smart enough to know that words can be meaningless so I settle in and see how accurate he is. He's easy to be around, like Carl, he makes me laugh and is interesting to learn. Joseph is completely self made, he never had a handout or easy start in life. Everything he has, he has fought and worked for, there was no easy road for him. He was born in New York, when he was two years old his family moved back to Ireland where his father was born and raised. At 16 years old he left Ireland and made his way to England to work construction in London wth only a few dollars and a phone number. Imagine leaving your home at 16 and moving to a different country without a smartphone, gps, internet or any other of the things we have today to make it a smooth transition...I listened in awe. Joseph doesn't brag or boast, he just tells his story and I realize how much I cannot relate to how difficult it was for anyone growing up in Ireland. He literally lived the stories we hear our parents tell us about walking five miles to school, I mean, sure his wasn't uphill both ways but it was almost always in the rain and it was more than five miles each way. He didn't grow up with indoor plumbing and his mother had to use a brick to warm their beds, part of their vegetables were kept in the ground until they were harvested for dinner each night and only recently his mother got a washer and dryer. Joseph and I aren't that far apart in age but Ireland is that far behind than the rest of the world and so he was always playing catch up with school and his career. He loved his childhood and I can see why, he had so many of the little pleasures like fishing at the little bridge by his home, helping his father with the livestock and being one the of the best footballers his town ever had. You can see his eyes light up when he talks about his years on the field and I imagine one day I will sound the same when I speak of my son and watching him play.

He paid the cheque and we made our way back to his truck. "Want to see my favourite place in the city?" I smiled, I always want to see how New Yorkers view of their city...