MORPHING INTO A CELT

After my father's passing, I noticed an organization in the newspaper called, "The Celtic Society". They held luncheons with live entertainment. And these events were open to the public.

It sounded intriguing, so I began attending these meetings. I enjoy Celtic music and dance. Plus the history was interesting. Always I looked forward to attending.

In the beginning the luncheons were held at the Dodger Pines Country Club. Every civic organization in town seemed to meet there. The food was tasty and reasonably priced.

This was 2002 and for $8.50 we were served a generous 3 course lunch. Later Dodger Pines closed and we meet at various restaurants. The luncheons went up to $12.50. -- Still a bargain!

For the 1st year I was a perpetual guest. Frequently, members asked why I didn't join. I told them it wasn't my heritage. I'm a Teuton, not a Celt. I was informed that was irrelevant. Because most of the spouses there fell into the same category... So I finally joined!

Now a redhead, I appeared more Celtic than anyone else in the room!

Besides the luncheons, there were many varied special events throughout the year. There were parties, balls, teas, and special dinners. It was an active, exciting, and wonderful period. Never had I experienced anything such as this in my life before!

Often I related my adventures to my friends Pat and Margaret on the phone. Pat had lost her husband shortly after my father passed. Like me, she was now in an unfamiliar city. However she was more isolated.

"It's ironic," she lamented. "You've finally got a life now, and I don't!"

That was true! Until my father's death, I had largely been a shut-in.

Always I will remember the formal ball at the country club. I never attended a High School prom. So the ball became the prom I never had! I found an elegant periwinkle gown at a thrift store. Dry-cleaning it cost more than the dress itself. It was perfect for the occasion!

Also I looked forward to their Spring Teas! Like most of the other ladies, I wore broad-brimmed hats and long flowing dresses. I could really dress-up there and I loved it!

"What are you doing with those people!" my friend Margaret used to expostulate. "I think that's so funny! You are of German stock, just like me!"

"If you lived in Vero, you'd be a member, too!" I replied.

I was planning a trip to the British Isles with the group the following year.

Then in 2004 Vero Beach was battered by double hurricanes. In 2005 another struck! My house had expensive damage the Insurance Co. didn't cover. Right around the same time I lost a staggering amount of money through investments. And the price of everything seemed to shoot up because of the storms. My spending became tighter. It seemed that way for everyone else, too. The Celtic Society cancelled the trip. Everything changed after the hurricanes.

I attended fewer and fewer of their special events. The monthly luncheons no longer featured live entertainment. Instead, they now had what our president referred to as, "Our engrossing speaker of the month." If some of those speakers were any more engrossing, I'd be comatose! I'll never forget the slide show of churches throughout Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. -- I didn't renew my membership.

Fast forward 5 yrs, I ran into a lady I knew from the Society on an excursion into town. I inquired about the group. "Oh I left shortly after you did," she told me. "It just didn't feel the same anymore." I agreed.

I no longer saw their meetings advertised in the newspaper. I wondered if the group had been disbanded.

Later, I heard through the grapevine that the Celtic Society had lost members in droves. They were now meeting only for their special events. No more monthly luncheons. Another casualty in the aftermath of the hurricanes.