Ireland – The Wonderland 🍀

I landed in Shannon, Ireland, on the 9th of June and was received by my son-in-law and little granddaughter, who ran towards me with open arms as if to give me all the love I could receive. It seemed suddenly as if I had come to land in a place of tranquillity and love.

As we approached their home, I was suddenly gripped with immense gratitude. Not only do they reside here, but the couple also work in Zimmer Biomet, which is located here too.

 Zimmer is known for manufacturing orthopaedic products, where implants of knees and hip, shoulder, elbow etc., are manufactured to provide quality life to those needing them to be replaced.

By now, you may have guessed that I am among the lucky receivers of these specially designed knee implants, and I’ve come here from India wearing them

And when I mention receiving, I mean it wholeheartedly, for life, before the knee replacement was compromised, a living I never once thought could change. But as we all know, we need to end somewhere for new beginnings, and that was just it.

I also realised that no matter how painful and torturous life gets, we are all reluctant to change course and end the phase, and the more I think of it, I wonder why we behave so strangely. We compromise a lot to continue living the way we are accustomed to and continue schooling our mind thinking it’ll get better, or in self-denial, refusing to accept that the worst has befallen.

That is just why it took me years to decide on ending the torturous phase I was in, and every time somebody asked me to go in for a knee replacement, this is what I said,

“Well, I am comfortable, for it is not a bad situation; while at rest, I have no pain; it’s only after I walk for five minutes that the back hurts, and I have to sit down and pause for thirty seconds before I walk again.”

Self-denial, ha ha ha…

The back went into a silent protest and threatened to retaliate if I pushed it further. It believed in the shared work theory, teamwork, as you would call it. It needed supportive walking knees to help carry my weight around, so the minute the knees gave up, it did too, so much so that the spine specialist wasn’t sure which one needed treatment first. ” Your back is as bad”, said Dr Mehta.

I was in despair but decided to give the knees a shot first, as advised by Dr Pradeep Bhosale, my knee surgeon.

“I’m sure your back will improve once your knees are straightened and set right.”

I decided to take his word for it for once, and I am glad I did so, and went in immediately, without a pause, thus ending this phase for a new beginning. It’s been over ten months since I’ve had them replaced.

And so, as I approached Oranmore, I was overwhelmed, and I sincerely hope to meet the dedicated and focused staff who work in tandem to help improve the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. If, during the course of my trip, I happen to visit their unit, I will describe it in detail.

As I walk down the streets with my newly acquired knees, I’m welcomed by a fantastic landscape full of pleasant faces, blending in harmonious tranquillity. I  suddenly felt I was amidst them, instantly blending in too.

As we ( my daughter Mehak and me) clambered on bus no 404 to Galway city centre, I was aware of the scenic beauty and the cool breeze on a hot summer day. Well, I found the weather pleasantly cool in contrast to the summer heat felt by the locals here. Ironically life appears to us so differently, for as they bore the cold winter, the locals found warmth in this weather, whereas a visitor from the tropics found this climate pleasantly cool and a respite from the heat.

Well, getting off the bus at the Galway city centre, we walked down the busy streets, where summer was in full bloom. There were buskers around the street corners, playing music which was a delight to the ears, and people were bustling all over, some smiling as I passed them. Some were preoccupied with work, as even others sat by the wayside in cafes and pubs, enjoying their favourite drinks. I wanted to have one, too, so as my daughter entered a local store, I treated myself to some Irish coffee with the right blend of coffee, whiskey, and whipped cream, all served with a piece of the choicest chocolate.

Now sitting right there, on the bench opposite me, was a middle-aged couple sipping beer. Their jolly carefree demeanour attracted me, so I picked up my coffee, got up, and planted myself in the space next to them. They turned around and smiled, and as I was sitting next to the lady, I asked her where she was from.

She replied, “ I’m  Nora, from Norway, the land of the midnight sun, and that invoked more curiosity, that I further asked her more about herself, and as she spoke,  I realised that she had lots of untold stories about her and her life.

Life didn’t seem as merry as she made it appear. Her ancestors were burnt at the stake, for they were suspected witches.

 She said, “ I’ve found light from the depth of darkness.”

Her husband or friend nodded, confirming her story. 

She still carried the hurt and said, “ I’m writing my first book describing it all”.

This pleased me even more, for writers are always in awe of other writers, and we exchanged contact details, promising to stay in touch. As my daughter came in, we exchanged good wishes and promised to stay in touch.

And then it was a day out for mother and daughter, as we shopped, ate street food, and gorged on gelato before we caught the bus home.

My heart went out for a spin, only to return home to the sweet little pea, my granddaughter, and her tactful antics. The immense beauty of the landscapes gave my heart a miss, especially when this little doll scootered on her scooter along with her father, up the hilly grandeur.

On the weekends, we went shopping and visited play areas and gardens.

The sight of her dress flying in the breeze and the speed with which her little legs moved along the green paths were worth a watch. It invoked the bright side of life, which I’m sure wouldn’t dampen out no matter what.

And now, even as I reached home, I knew I had arrived, for the heart and hearth were together forever.