The Waltz of the Dancing Stars

Burning Bright

“One must have chaos in oneself in order to give birth to a dancing star.”

(Friedrich Nietzsche)

It all started the other day when I read this quote by Friedrich Nietzsche and posted it here. I got to the quote because my head was bubbling and, I suppose, you could say chaotic. That shortest of short posts settled me as blogging so often does.

But, when you started to comment, dear friends, I found myself moving from thoughts of chaos to dancing stars and all they might entail.

Yes, dancing stars like Michael Flatley spring to mind and all the other greats that I should know about but don’t (yet).

Dancing stars have evoked thoughts of many, many things over the last few days.

• Twinkling eyes
• Floating snowflakes
• The glistening teeth of Seve Ballesteros when I saw  lusted after him at The Irish Open in Mount Juliet some years back
• Lying on my parent’s bed as a kid ‘helping’ my Mother to get ready to go out for an evening and running my fingers along her string of pearls
• Watching Richard Clayderman’s hands caressing the keys of a grand piano at the RDS in Dublin
• Star-gazing in the depths of February in 2009 when son Harry and I spent a week in a remote little cottage on the Burren in Co. Clare
• Playing mixed doubles at the St. Anne’s Open Tennis Week in Waterford and having an unexpected meeting with bright, bright stars when I failed to get out of the way of my partner’s brilliant first serve!
• This great quote from Oscar Wilde:

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars

Where do ‘dancing stars’ bring YOU?

Sporting Passion, Jersey, and the Ryder Cup

It would have been impossible for me to marry someone who didn’t have deep interest in sport. I just couldn’t cope with questions like: What on earth is a topspin lob? or What the hell has an eagle got to to do with golf?

Well, I’m glad to report that I found ‘love’ on a tennis court and the guy who courted me and whom I eventually married was a keen sportsman who played about 6 sports at representative level and continues to have an absolute passion for sport in general.

Our honeymoon  on the lovely island of Jersey coincided with the Ryder Cup in 1991. When we arrived at the hotel, hubby  made a mad lunge at the television to be sure that it had all the stations necessary to see every shot of the competition.

Jersey was stunning, with its beaches, coastal paths, seafood restaurants on tiny harbours,  The Lavendar Farm, La Mare Vineyard, Jersey Pottery and, of course, nearby Sark Island with its feudal regime.

The Ryder Cup was played in Kiawah Island, South Carolina that year and really it was like we became bi-located once it got underway on the Friday.

Watching the Preview of this year’s competition with hubby last night, I got a tingle of excitement and a real sense of deja vu when when he said of Ian Poulter: Here’s your man!  My man in 1991 was undoubtedly Seve Ballesteros, who I had been fortunate enough to see in the flesh here in Ireland and who is without doubt the most handsome man I have ever laid eyes on. And what an inspirational golfer, not unlike Ian Poulter!

The 1991 Ryder Cup was unbearably close and we travelled home on the Sunday as the latter stages were unfolding. My parents had invited us for tea but weren’t in the least surprised when hubby shot passed them to catch the last few holes in which Europe were just pipped.

I can imagine that this could well be some people’s idea of absolute hell but somehow the Ryder Cup gives me a biennial reminder of the extent to which our marriage is built on a shared love of sport of all descriptions.

It’s all in the genes, as we both come from sporting families, and I could only smile when our son told me the other day of how he was shocked and horrified to be asked by someone: How many games are in a tennis match?

So, best of luck to the smiling Paul McGinley and his fabulous European team.  We’ll be watching!

 

 

 

Poetry in Motion ~ Gatherings from Ireland # 204

Rose ‘Poetry in Motion’

The concept of ‘Poetry in Motion’ is one that resonates hugely with me and I even went as far as buying a rose back in February that had that name. It is now in full bloom and I’ve been thinking more and more about who and what symbolizes ‘poetry in motion’ most for me. It has been an interesting ‘internal’ debate because it has made me realise that what I seem to admire most is the natural ~ be it nature itself, natural talent or nature as it manifests itself between people. So, here’s my top ten (out of hundreds) in no particular order:

#1. Tennis player Roger Federer in full flow.

#2. Former Waterford County Hurler, John Mullane whose natural talent and passion was a thrill to behold.

# 3. Irish athlete, Sonia O’Sullivan, as she sprinted to victory on the world stage.

#4. The dimpled smile of Irish poet, Brendan Kennelly when he introduced his poetry at a reading I attended in Trinity College, Dublin when I was a Junior Freshman.

#5. The sheer talent and handsomeness of  golfer, Seve Ballesteros, who I was fortunate to see playing at the Irish Open in Mount Juliet, Co. Kilkenny.

#6. Irish boxer, Katie Taylor, as she danced to Olympic Gold.

#7. The sea kissing the shore here in my beloved Co. Waterford.

# 8. The brilliance of Michael Flatley and Jean Butler as they performed in Riverdance.

#9. The great Liam Clancy with his natural talent as singer, story-teller and musician.

# 10. A deep, enriching hug with someone who truly cares.

I’d dearly love to know what your list would be?