What I Do or Who Am I?

Besides spending half of my day travelling to and from and the time spent at work, I am a member of my local Scottish society.  One of our biggest events is the annual Celtic Festival.  My responsibility is the care of merchandise and food vendors.  I take great pride in making sure that we offer quality merchandise and food.  There are a few tinkers I have inherited and hopefully one day, I can weed them out.   But this is not the story.
Over the last few years, many Scottish Games and Celtic Festivals have been "going out of business".  A variety of reason to include lack of funding and lack of volunteers to keep them going.
We are self funded and I see that a lot of them disappearing have been funded by the local governments - who are running out of money. 
On hearing of another Celtic Festival folding this morning I shared these thoughts with our committee.

 

It is indeed sad to hear of another event being cancelled. 

I think back to the day when it was announced that we cancelled our festival that bleak year in 2011.  I was upset and a wee bit miffed, which is probably what made me start to get involved.  Little did I know what was in store!   As much as I feel like packing it in on rare occasions, I once again revert to insanity and say to myself, why?  I do enjoy what I do and the people I work with, both the committee and our vendors.   To see everyone's smiling faces the day of is well worth it.  To hear the gratitude of the attendees makes it well worth it.  Sometimes, I even get to take a moment to myself and just look around - the music wafting from all stages, the skirl of the pipes, the parade of clans, the clacking of dancers shoes, the laughter of children (and as the day goes on, the tippling laughter of adults), the smell of cooking and burning peat, and I think well done us.   Even the rain is authentic of our cultural lands.  Of course I would be remiss if I did not mention, you know it is coming, the men in kilts. 

Appreciation only comes from knowing how much time, how hard we have worked.  We are indeed fortunate to have a bevy who are dedicated and passionate about not only our heritage, but the love of sharing it through the Society events and the Festival. 

 

That is just one of my passions.

I know I know, I can get into a lot of trouble for the skirt bit.

 

http://www.midmarylandcelticfestival.com/