Castlebar - County Mayo - Worth a Smile

Have you ever watched the world slide passed the window of the train, while you sit back, knowing you have loads of time on your hands and no responsibility except to sit back and let it take you to your destination?

Relaxing on my way down to Castlebar once again, I was wondering why I do this each weekend? Why do I put myself through this each Friday and again each Sunday evening? Although it is a good way to rid oneself of the collective cobwebs of work and Dublin, I could think of many other ways less tedious. I still dream of moving to Castlebar for good and I hope and pray it will happen soon. Still the lovely little town with all its interesting places and friendly faces draw me each weekend. My partner and I have set up “home” there, and I get to enjoy it two days a week. It definitely is worth the ride, and like I mentioned, one gets loads of time to think about the weeks gone by and plan for the future.

I could not help remembering a very entertaining weekday evening. Where would you say one could sit and watch a stranger model a pair of “undies” just for you (although unintentional)? This fashion show happened on this memorable Thursday afternoon. I was enjoying a cup of coffee, watching people around me go on with their lives, when I noticed a gentleman hold a pair of “undies” in front of himself, viewing himself in a mirror. Turning his body to the left, then to the right. Absolute concentration!! Next came another colour, another style: Jockey?? Regular?? Boxer shorts??

Hot date or what? I wondered with a smile. I was really enjoying this, and it was obvious that this gentleman was so involved in finding just the right pair, that he was totally unaware of his audience. Most people would have looked away???? Not in my lifetime!! I would bet my last euro, that you would not have been able to resist that “show” either. It was done with such intense concentration, such dedication to appearance, such detail to choice, and so absolutely amusing. You are probably wondering by now, where this all happened?? My “front row” seat was at no other place than a friendly little restaurant inside a shopping centre, similar to our Dunnes Stores. There I was, innocently enjoying a relaxing few minutes, sipping my coffee and was entertained to boot. I could not suppress my smile.

The show lasted approximately 5 to 10 minutes, but alas ended abruptly, when the “model” looked up and caught me red handed, amused smile and all. He turned a lighter shade of red, dropped the “goodies” into his basket and made a speedy retreat. Looking over his shoulder as he did so, he laughed as I pointed to the basket and gave him the thumbs up sign.

I bet at least one person (if he reads the Castlebar News. Who doesn't?) is grinning or blushing again. Bold woman, right??? No, just someone who enjoys the precious things in life. Well, at least I don’t know his name. (His good luck, I think?) I just hope the end result was worth the effort and suffering he had to endure.

Now I always add another item on my shopping list. "Entertainment"! One never knows what happens in an evening. You go out for groceries and coffee and come back with an experience. Just when you think it’s safe to out there… you find out that there are people around, who watch people. I am not speaking about security….I am speaking about people like me, who enjoy seeing people live. Not just exist, but really use their lives to live, however small a deed they do, or what they do. One just has to see or imagine the “show” of that evening, and appreciate that it’s not the major deeds we do that count. It’s all the little ones we do each day that add up to our memories. Try and spend some time by yourself. Get away from the rush and bustle of things for a few hours, maybe even catch a train and use the time to just “remember”. One thought leads to another, and after a while you have filled so much of your past that you remember your life has meaning in many small little bits and pieces. They all add up to a great amount of living. Now tell me…… Who said riding a train is boring??

I think Julia A. Carney quoted correctly when she said : "Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty oceans and the pleasant land. And the little moments humble though they be, make mighty ages of eternity!"