Entries by Callaghan, John

So, here we are at what I imagine will be my very last blog entry. Blogging is one of the few things I honestly won’t miss about WIP. Like many of my fellow WIPers, I’m going to close with some propaganda on why anyone and everyone interested should apply for this program this year, next year and in the years to come. So, here goes:

Take the application process seriously. I know it is long, and fairly probing, but for me, it raised many of the questions that I spent my summer thinking about.

Choose a public service project that you really care about. It will make your 30 hours more enjoyable and more worthwhile.

If you make it as far as Washington, take time out every now and then and just think about how lucky you are. Appreciate everything that is being afforded to you. When you get home, you’ll probably wish you’d done that more.

Be open-minded with regards to your internship. The Embassy probably wouldn’t have been my first choice back in June, but now, I am so grateful I got to spend my summer there and can’t imagine it any other way.

Also, be warned! The internship is actually a relatively small part of the program. You will more than likely find yourself stretched in many other ways.

Accept the fact that 7 hours sleep is the most you can hope for in a night. You’ll have all of August to catch up on those missed hours of slumber.

Try to be enthusiastic about everything, all the time. If Americans can do it, then so can you!

Get to know your host family. In general, they are the most interesting people you will meet all summer.

Get comfortable with the knowledge that by the end of the summer you will be part of an incredibly tightly-knit team. You’ll wonder how you ever functioned without your 25 new best friends. However, you don’t try to force it. There’s no need. It will happen of its own accord.

Start discussing your group service project early. By the time it comes around to doing it, the world will have given you much to be thankful for, and so, you’ll want to give back something really worthwhile in return.

Have blind faith. You won’t always realise the point of what your being asked to do, and now and then things might seem impossible, but just trust that whoever is in charge knows what they’re doing, and why they’re doing it. In my experience, that’s usually the case.

If you aren’t successful in this application, try again. Reapplying was the best thing I ever did!

This is the speech I gave at Graduation on Friday, September 19th, in the Holiday Inn Hotel, Befast. Thank you to Kieran, Jonathan and Megan for their help in preparing it.

Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen,

My name is John Callaghan, and I have the huge honour of speaking to you tonight on behalf of my class. I suppose it makes sense that I am the voice for the Class of 2008, considering that I’m a Southern Irish boy with an accent that sounds more Northern than many of the Northerners themselves. Such are the joys of being from Donegal!

Of course, being the voice of such an eclectic bunch is not an easy task when each and everyone of them has so much to say, so much that ought to be heard, so many stories of an amazing summer adventure.

I am sure you have heard many of these stories before. I know that I am beginning to get tired telling them, so I can only imagine how tired my family and friends are of hearing them, but bear with me, this one last time, as I recall just two of the moments from this summer that I will never forget.

Hemlock Outdoor Centre is the place that defined us as a group. It was a day of active problem solving that stretched our patience, our good-will, and our entire bodies. But coming home on our yellow school bus, driving through the thundering rain, and singing, in one voice and at the top of our lungs, “We’ve got the best bus in the land” made it all worthwhile. Because, at that point, I knew that each and every one of us believed it.

The second is a photo I took. In it, Aoibhinn O Hare is holding a tricolour and Lauren Allison a union jack. Just before I took the photo, I told them it would be funnier if they swapped flags, but they both responded straight away with a resounding “No!”. I was a little disappointed, but took the photo anyway. When I think about it, that kind of summed up the spirit of the class of ’08. We knew that we were different, and we were proud of who we were. We didn’t try to change ourselves, and we certainly didn’t try to change each other. Instead, we learned to understand and to celebrate our differences. It didn’t matter if we were Catholic or Protestant, Northern or Southern, Republican or… Democrat, we were all one team, and we posed for photos as nothing less than friends.

We have so many stories to be thankful for, and indeed, so many people to be thankful to.
None more so than to our families, who we are delighted to be sharing this evening with. I could not be prouder to have all four of my parents here tonight, both my real parents and my host parents, that rare breed of humans who willingly opened their homes to us for eight weeks this summer. When my real Daddy, Charlie, warned me he was cutting me off at the age of 21, I didn’t realise that meant I’d be getting a whole new set of parents! We thank you for your generosity, your understanding, your patience, and the all-access passes to your fridge!

To Kevin Sullivan and Briedge Gadd, the entire Board of Directors, and the program funders, we are eternally grateful to you for the belief you have in this program, and in its participants.

To Megan, Jonathan and the Management Team, who acted as crutch, cane, and candle in the dark this summer. They were always by our sides, standing shoulder to shoulder with us. Indeed, on occasion, Ms. Farrell wasn’t just standing by our shoulders, she was standing on them.

My personal highlight of the summer was the feeling that I wasn’t totally my own. I was part of something bigger than me, something better than me. WIP is like a disease. It gets under your skin, it takes a part of you and it adds it to something beyond your control. Throughout the summer, we were colours, we were interns, we were little chicks, we were at our best when we were together. I think of us as body parts. Each one useless on its own but put them all together and you get a living, breathing soul that is W.I.P.

It is the foot of Catherine Green, the one we thought we’d have to chop off after her Week 1 penicillin disaster.
It is the legs of Chris Joyce, the tallest man in every room.
It is the hips of Mary Munroe, who had us always in awe every time she took to the dance floor .
It is the hands of Fiona Buggy, a woman who uses so much more than words to express herself.
It is the fire in the belly of Alan Ralph, that fire which truly set Sawip Sawip Sawip ablaze.
It is the heart of Heather McCormick, a kinder one I have yet to see.
It is the throat of Laura McManus, who managed to cough her way through 8 weeks and 19 guest speakers.
It is the words of Matthew Thompson, and the words per minute of Neal Gartland, who are the most talkative man and the fastest talking man I have ever met respectively.
It is the giggle of Aoibhinn O Hare, unending and impossibly contagious.
It is the ears of Phil Alister, those ears that graciously listened to Chris Joyce all summer.
It is the eyes of Andrew McCullough, the man who literally can sleep with one eye open.
It is the hair of Clare Herbert, those fiery flames that acted as our guiding light so often this summer.

More than just a body, it is a soul. It is a range of characteristics and eccentricities that we have all come to know and love.

It is the first impressions made by Lauren Allison, the girl who, after just two days in her internship, got an invite to dinner with the President.
It is the skill with which Chris Andrews manages to meet, and interview, Heads of State, whether they be Irish or Iraqi!
It is the endearing way in which Judith Bamford can laugh at herself, especially after pulling one of her trademark Bamfordisms.
It is the drive of Elaine McDonald. If last year’s class found their Public Service Tsar in Kieran O Connor, I definitely think we’ve found his Tsaritsa in Elaine.
It is the facial expressions of Clenward, and that one in particular.
It is the sense of direction of Maria McLoughlin. “Eeeeh, Ian, I think I’m lost!”
It is the work ethic of Peter Mannion, the man who claims to be “change we can believe in”. Barack Obama was unavailable for comment.
It is the fear of intimacy of Sarah McKegney, the girl it took me eight weeks to get a kiss on the cheek from.
It is the wisdom and loyalty of Fiona McCarrick, the baby of the group, and the world’s biggest Bertie fan!
It is the mischievous child in Gary Simpson that at one point or another made all of us glad to be young.
It is the patience of Luke O Donnell, our Lombardi Cancer Research intern, who week after week after week graciously put up with the same question; So Luke, have you cured cancer yet?

It is each and every attribute brought to the board table, it is the willingness to invest something of ourselves, and the knowledge that our investment would be rewarded one-hundred-fold. That is what made us the Great ’08.

So, tonight, the sun sets on our summer adventure. However, the job is not yet done. I implore you all to take the tools you have acquired this summer, and use them well. Whatever way you wish to do that, whether you paint, or you fly, or you dance, or you dig, do it with all your energy, and do it well. That is our responsibility, and that is how we can honour this summer.

Sometimes, we are so saddened by the setting of the sun that we fail to appreciate the beauty of the rising moon behind us. Let us not squander our opportunities, and please, please, each and every one of you, keep in touch.

Go n-eiri an bothar libh. Thank you, and good night.

Over the last 8 weeks, I think I have learned a lot. This is a very short list of some of those things. Credit has to be given to Lauren for number 5, and apologies to Clare for contradiction in 10!

1) Find your place in life. If all you know is your place, then you know a lot.

2) True friendship is realised not when you trust 100% what your friends say to you, but when you trust 100% what you say to your friends.

3) Speak slowly. If your words are interesting enough, the world will wait to listen.

4) Always say thank you, even if you’re not sure why. It is never the wrong thing to say.

5) Listen to Foy Vance, “First of July”, at least once in your life.

6) Remember that the middle of the road is not always the safest stand-point. When you take a position that is middle of the road, you are twice as likely to get hit.

7) See the 4th of July fireworks from the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Mall.

8 ) Time is the best remedy of all. Unfortunately, it is also one of our scarcest resources.

9) Measure wealth on the ability to entertain yourself in times of solitude, not with the richness of your goods, but the richness of your thoughts.

10) End lists on even numbers. There is much to be said for doing what people expect.

On Wednesday, July 30th, I had the absolute honour of speaking at the Embassy of Ireland. This is my speech.

Cead mile failte roaibh go Ambassaid na hEirinn anocht. I’d like to welcome you all to the Embassy of Ireland tonight, ladies, gentlemen, distinguished guests, class of ’08.

My name is John Callaghan. Home for me is a small, or in my vernacular, a “wee” village called Churchill in Donegal. I am studying towards a degree in English Literature and Russian in Trinity College, Dublin. When I say that, I usually get asked two questions, the answers to which are: Yes, I am aware that I’ll never get a job with that degree, and Yes, apparently I do speak Russian with a strong Donegal accent. This summer I had the honour of interning here, in the Embassy of Ireland.

I’d like to read you a short poem, if I may, by William Cullen Bryant, entitled To Cole the Painter departing for Europe.

Thine eyes shall see the light of distant skies;
Yet, Cole! thy heart shall bear to Europe's strand
A living image of our own bright land,
Such as upon thy glorious canvas lies;

Fair scenes shall greet thee where thou goest- fair,
But different- everywhere the trace of men,
Paths, homes, graves, ruins, from the lowest glen
To where life shrinks from the fierce Alpine air.

Gaze on them, till the tears shall dim thy sight,
But keep that earlier, wilder image bright.

I read this poem because, although written over 150 years ago, I think that the same message applies to me, and to my Class, tonight. Do not forget this land, do not forget these moments, and do not forget the lessons you have learned here.

When I think back on this summer, I will think of it in colours. I will think of the fireworks on the fourth the July. I will think of the red-shelled crabs that my host Mom Deb forced me to try. And I’ll admit, they tasted good. I’ll also think of the colours that, for 8 weeks at least, defined our personalities. Back in week 1 of our summer program we undertook a personality test that defined us as red, yellow, green or blue. Falling somewhere between Red and Yellow myself, it was certainly the first time, and more than likely the last time I will ever claim to be an Orangeman. But then again, WIP is all about pushing your boundaries. For now though, I’ll stick with my green shirt. Tonight, I am going to ask you all to think not of people as colours, but of knowledge as colour. If you can do that, then after you have heard the four speakers tonight, speaking of just some of the lessons they have learned this summer, then I hope you will come to realize the kaleidoscopic journey that we have been on.

Our first speaker tonight certainly enjoys colourful things, and I don’t just mean his language. Interning on capitol hill gave him the opportunity to observe some of the top leaders in America. He will now share what he learnt. Let me introduce to you the very tall Chris Joyce.

Thank you Chris. Leadership is an integral part of the program. The second core component is service which is also the topic of conversation for our next speaker. So, let me now pass you over to the capable, finely manicured hands of Maria McLoughlin

Thank you Maria. You may be wondering just how multi-cultural this program is, considering that our last two speakers have been from Galway and Mayo respectively, and things are only going to get worse as I introduce our next speaker, another Mayo woman. But, in our defense, Mary Munroe will now speak to you all about the lessons we learned from each other, the lessons we learned from our South African classmates, and how we inspired each other. It doesn’t get much more multi-cultural than that! The lovely Mary Munroe.

Thank you Mary. And now, we are down to our final speaker of the night. I would not dare say we have saved the best till last, 6 weeks in the diplomatic service has taught me to choose my compliments carefully, but I know she will not disappoint. Speaking about what leadership and service mean to her, and the many examples of leadership and service she has witnessed and participated in this summer, I am proud to introduce to you Heather McCormick.

Thank you Heather.

Our summer is coming to an end. But what about those “26 chicks” that Elaine MacDonald spoke of at our first event of the summer 48 days ago? Well, in four days time, those 26 chicks will fly home. Looking around the room at my fellow classmates, the great ’08, I still see colours, colour in their eyes, colour behind their smiles, and colour in the words they say. Like Cole, all those years ago, we will bring with us a canvas, blank now, but soon to be wonderfully bright. We will show our island a painting of our future, a future obtained through leadership and service, and coloured with the knowledge we have gathered this summer. To all of you who have made that happen, I say thank you. To my classmates, I leave you with the reminder that all we have done thus far is gather paint, the artistry is yet to come. In the words of Ivy Baker Priest, “The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning”. Thank you.

I had no intention of adding to my WebJournal tonight, but listening to the words of Joseph Arthur’s “In the Sun”, I felt inspired.

WIP moment #8:
This evening I finished writing a letter that I had begun over 2 weeks ago! Now, this was no masterpiece of conversational literature. My words were not carefully chosen, neither was my subject matter, and the letter itself was of no great merit or length. I simply had not, since beginning to write it, set aside time to complete the letter. It did feel great to finally sign it off though, like sealing one small leak in a colander-style dam. The problem with my life right now, and thank God this is the extent of my problems, is that, like the song says, I’m getting caught in between all I wish for and all I need. I had started the letter, and I needed to complete it, yet I allowed myself to get distracted for 2 whole weeks before it was finally done. This problem is pervasive throughout so many aspects of my Summer, both caused by time’s ephemeral nature, and by the inability of an idealised, perfect world and the real world to co-exist. In relation to the time quandary, we, as WIPers, balance trying to learn as much as possible from the incredibly prestigious internships afforded us, solidifying the friendships that more and more clearly reveal themselves as lifelong, interacting in an arena of thought and discussion centred on the future of our lands, displaying even just a fraction of the appreciation we feel for the generosity shown to us by our host families, getting enough sleep so that we can function properly and healthily, and on top of all of that, staying sane! With so much going on, I guess it is understandable that a simple letter may be overlooked, and let’s be honest, there’s little harm in that. However, what I do find more concerning is that, more and more often, I do find myself getting caught in between the ideological and the real, especially when it comes to my fellow WIPers in the Class of 2008. I am often astounded by, and, to be honest, jealous of, the attributes they bring to the table, whether that be their faith (religious or otherwise), their focus, their energy and their self-understanding. I tell myself I will adopt an attitude like theirs, I will have more faith. But then the real world deals another blow that makes me ask, how can you still have faith? I tell myself I will be more focused. I will set myself a goal, and achieve it. But then some other shiny attraction comes along and once again, my attention is scuppered. I tell myself I will be more energetic, more pro-active, I will make things happen. But then tiredness, or disillusionment sets in, and I succumb to stupor. I tell myself I am going to learn one thing about myself everyday. But as I lie in bed at night, I find myself asking more and more questions. The things I thought I knew, the things I thought were absolute, are all of a sudden uncertain. In the search for an answer, all I seem to be doing is uncovering more questions. And all the while, the ideological in which I’d love to live my life, is growing in distance. This program offers its participants so many opportunities and unrivalled learning possibilities, but maybe the truth really is that, the more you learn, the more you realise how much you still don’t know. To finish with some words from the song that started me off;
“If I find my way, how much will I find?”

WIP moment #6:
This was the moment I think I fell in love! On my third Sunday in DC, I took a trip out to Chevy Chase to a fundraiser for an independent cinema, which was being held in the lovely McManuses’. On our way back, myself, Neal and Laura swung by Bethesda with the aim of attending the elusive “Soccer Sundays”. It being cancelled, we roped a few more WIPers into the ranks and hit the local Starbucks to avoid the approaching thunderstorm. I don’t believe that Baristas often share the burden Bartenders bear in emptying their respective watering-holes, however it was made pretty clear to us that we didn’t have to go home, but we couldn’t stay there. So, we faced back into the open-elements, which had, by now, settled. I took leave of the rest, and made for the metro. It was about nine thirty on a Sunday evening. The traffic was light, the sky was sketched in a post-conflict auburn, and the air clung to a fresh balminess. The wide, tidy street of Bethesda was glistening after the rain, reflecting the streetlights and the setting sun, and everything, myself included, just felt in its proper place. It was at that moment that I think I fell in love with Washington.

WIP moment #7:
“I have faith in the spirits of my continent” – Rosalind Elphick, SAWIP Class of ’08.

I hope Ros doesn’t mind being quoted here, and I’m not even sure if she remembers saying these words, but I remember them well. Faith, and the act of finding it, has been a constant, mainly silent, theme which has played on my mind for much of my time in DC this far. I have been brought up a Catholic, and I’m very content with my religious beliefs. I have faith in God. It is finding faith elsewhere that troubles me. This is why, when Ros, after telling us of all the major problems facing South Africa, and the African continent as a whole, was still able to speak of an innate faith in her continent, and its ability to heal itself, it was all I could do to hear her. Faith manifests itself in many different forms on the WIP team, whether that be in God, in politics, in the judicial system, or in humanity. I have struggled, and I dare say still struggle, to find a resilient faith in any of these things, solid enough to snub out the flame of fear that burns for my countries future. I believe that the Irish society is standing upon a precipice. Already, there are fissures that are literally causing the ground beneath our feet to crumble. Suicide, road traffic accidents, gang-violence, these things are destroying my generation. The threads that once bound communities together, and contributed to the strength of our social fabric, have come loose. Our economy is facing a recession, and we are told we must diversify, become a knowledge economy, keep ahead. We are already running to stand still, and if we cannot find a solid footing among the rough terrain we face, then we will never be able to project ourselves forward. We must address the core issues of what shape our society is going to take on, cement the foundations upon which we will build a future. The biggest fear I face right now is how we will achieve that. But, it has been said to me before that the only thing stronger than fear is faith. Faith breeds hope, and so I am going to invest my faith in my fellow WIPers. Sen. Obama is renowned for his “Yes, we can” attitude. He puts his faith in the American people, all 300 million of them or so. I am not investing in quite as many shares, there are only 26 of us, but then again, I’m not asking for the White House as my dividend, all I ask for is faith.

So, another blog entry, and therefore more WIP moments:

WIP moment #4:
I started my internship on Tuesday in the Embassy of Ireland, and on Wednesday morning, I was introduced to Ambassador Michael Collins. I think the remarkable thing about our introduction was that it was in no way remarkable! The Ambassador’s office, from what I can remember, had a salmonie glow, and soft carpet. It felt very homely, in no way overly-ceremonial or sharp, much like the Ambassador himself, and the Embassy as a whole. Ambassador Collins greeted me warmly, we spoke for a few minutes, and then off I headed. No drama, no accidental insults, no foot-in-mouth syndrome whatsoever. I guess, because the Embassy is quite small, with only a score of employees or so, everyone has learned to get along very well. The atmosphere is always congenial, in no small part thanks to my supervisor, Tim Doyle, who is probably the most affable man I’ve ever met. He keeps the show running, and me on my toes! It’s a great opportunity to see the inner workings of an Embassy and I have no doubt I’ll be quite happy there of the next 5 weeks.

WIP moment #5:
Fiona B celebrated her milestone 21st birthday on Friday of week 2, and so, in true DC style, we organised to do lunch. It was a lunch compiled of a series of highs and lows, laughs and tears, firsts and lasts. For instance, it was the first, and most definitely the last time either of us eats in an American McDonald’s. (Yes, we “did lunch” in McDonald’s… the shame!) It was also the first, and from the expression on Fiona’s face when I asked her was it nice, the last time I’ve ever witnessed someone ordering a Fillet-o-Fish burger. The most memorable moment for me from the whole saga was when I squeezed my chicken burger to reveal an outpouring of what I can only hope was water! For Fiona, I’d guess her hightlight was when she realised that the taste of her lemonade reminded her of her hall back home. I’m not sure why. But, we did come to some good agreements, that if Ronald would just spare some expense on the high-class furnishings (booths, artwork etc) he could afford to spend more on quality ingredients. In the true sense of WIP, we saw a problem, and we tried to fix it. I have a feeling if you asked most people, they’d say lunching in a squalid Mickey D’s on the day of your 21st is not their idea of fun, but those are the moments that transform a fledgling friendship into friends for life!!! And there you were, thinking WIP was all about power lunches, elevator speeches and networking…

P.S., I thought I should update my introduction slightly; I no longer have a pregnant horse! Instead I have a regular horse and an unnamed foal. Suggestions welcome.

“We do not remember the days, we remember the moments” - Cesare Pavese.

This is one of my favourite quotes simply because I think it’s true. Much of the Class of ’08 have already detailed the jam-packed week just passed, and there is little, if anything, I can add to that. Week 1 in dates, times and locations is mapped elsewhere. Instead, I’d like to tell of the moments that shape my experience, the moments I will remember. I have no doubt that some will be insignificant, some will be unstartling, but they all will be mine.

WIP moment #1:
On our first Sunday afternoon, Deb and Kurt, my Host Family, hosted the Washington BBQ. The moment that has crystallised in my mind from the BBQ quite possibly went unnoticed by everyone else at the event, but it has stuck with me. Almost all the interns present were sitting in the living room, huddled over plates of hot burgers, fresh fruit and chocolate brownies, when the doorbell rang. We had been in D.C. less than 24 hours. I still did not know where my host parents were born, I knew only one of their four cats’ names, and I absolutely couldn’t work the shower. But when the doorbell rang, I felt a duty to open it. In the real world, I was standing in a stranger’s home, preparing to welcome someone I’d known for the length of a weekend in Belfast and a trans-Atlantic flight to a party where they, along with myself and half a dozen others, were the guests of honour. In the WIP world, I was welcoming a friend to a party in my home. This surreal combination, I have since decided, is testament to the wonderful host families that go above and beyond to make us feel at home in their homes, and the unfaltering spirit of the Class of ’08 to forge lasting friendships. I cannot thank Deb and Kurt enough for week 1, words simply fail me. As for my fellows WIPpers, here’s hoping week 2 stacks up on the funometer!

WIP moment #2:
On Thursday of week 1, we spent the morning in J. O. Wilson elementary school. This is a school in an area that lacks the power, the glamour and the wealth I associated with Washington. In the flow of our crash-course emersion into Irish culture class, Alan got the kids involved by getting them all screaming and shouting, one side of the hall against the other. I’ll admit that, purely due to fewer numbers and by no means because of lack of enthusiasm, the side I was sitting on were evidently the less vocal. However, Alan, being the gent that he is, called the affair a draw. And this equality seemed to suit all parties. The problem lies, however, in the fact that these kids, and many more like them, for much of their future lives, won’t be afforded the equality Alan administered. D.C belongs to them just as much as it belongs to the White House. In fact, it ought to be serving their needs more urgently than the needs of the President. After all, they’ll probably live there much longer than any President ever will. I think I learned a little bit more about what WIP means when it says “Leadership and Service”, and OK, so maybe I’ll never be able to positively impact on those childrens’ lives, but hopefully, just understanding a bit more about the value of service is a good thing. It was also very pleasant seeing everyone, myself included, making fools of themselves in the name of Irish culture.

WIP moment 3:
This one is a bit of a cheat really. When I travelled to Russia last summer with my College class, we discovered that there was a function on one person’s camera which allowed you to flick through all the photos taken, kind of like a slide show on steroids. Over the four weeks we were there, the amount of photos kept increasing, and after a while, the story of our summer started emerging. We called it the slide show of our lives. It consisted of about 100 photos flashing up in 15 seconds, mapping the four weeks we spent together. Nothing in itself held perfect clarity, it was often a haze images, but every now and then, one picture would catch your eye, and evoke some memory. On top of that, you knew that when you had a quieter moment, you could go through the photos at an easier pace. Some photos you might have forgotten about, others you might have completely missed, but with time, you would remember them all. Well, when I think back on week 1, I am reminded of the slide show of our lives. Right now, much of the week is a blur, beyond those few moments I already mentioned. But given time, some more of them will gain the clarity they deserve. I suppose that’s the wonder of perspective; it gives things their proper meaning.

That said, there is another feeling that impresses upon me from this last week. Even though my gut tells me no other group of people could have ever experienced all that we have experienced this far, my head reminds me that, essentially, we are no different from all the years before us. This is WIP!