Craic

One of the pleasures of this year'sIrishfest is staying in the hotel with all of the musicians. There's sessiuns going on in random spaces, many levels of inebriation, and lots of good craic.

Craic is the Irish word for conversation. Topics run from where you're from to philosophy of humming birds. Great craic can slide from a good joke to a serious story, to great lies. When there's lots of people, craic becomes like popcorn. Trying to retrace a conversation is almost as fun as the telling.

One thing I like to do in these settings while listening, is watching others. I'll see one young guy try to pick up a girl. When she turns him down, he looks for another option, starts a conversation, and either succeeds or needs to find number three. I see this and am so glad I'm older. These moments can be hard, stupid or silly.

In festival after parties,I sort people into categories:
1. Married and being polite
2. Married and flirting, but safe - no mixed messages; only joking around
3. Married but still a player
4. Wants to be married, but afraid of commitment
5. Single, and loving the variety of options
6. Single and lonely.
7. Single, and thinks their status (main stage performer) will get them anything they want.
8. Musician who is still trying to prove themselves
9. Musician that really loves what they do
10. Musician riding on someone else's coat tails
11. Musician who feels like they need an entourage
12. jerks

Most people are here to let their hair down, meet other musicians they admire or are waiting to be admired. One band still had their costume kilts on. Why do they need to wear it? Maybe they fall into a few if the above categories. I wonder who they really are.

I spent the night talking with a great friend I met at Irishfest 10 years ago. Before this weekend, the last time we really talked was January 2009. We started talking like it was yesterday. I'm lucky that I get to meet people like this every once in a while.

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#66 of 90in90 for #LUBlogTribe