Who says leprechauns aren’t real?

Look Who I Found  (I know it should be whom, but that sounds weird)

“I have someone for you,” my husband cries out across the grocery aisle.  What do you mean?  “He’s perfect.” It sounds like he is setting me up on a blind date…I already suspect what is going on.  “What month is it?”  “March,” I reply and we both laugh. 

“Just look at this guy, all he needs is a cap and he’s ready to go”  “Where is he  I saw him walk over this way.”  Now we are standing in front of the door to the butcher’s area and a bald guy with a big apron appears in the door and asks what we want.  My husband stumbles over sounds, approximating words.

“Uh, uh…”  “Ok, just tell him.” I say laughing    I look the guy dead in the eye and say, “actually we are looking for a leprechaun..” “WHAT?” “never mind, he’s not here,” Scott mumbles  The guy looks at us like we are crazy, of course he’s not, they’re  hacking up meat in the butcher department.  Geez.  Leprechauns make shoes, everyone knows that!

To fully appreciate this story you have to understand a little about me and my obsession with all things Irish, especially during the month of March.  Over the years I have given countless St. Patrick’s Day celebrations at school from preschool through high school, at church and at home.  I often have a visiting leprechaun.  Of course my school leprechauns are not total strangers, security and all that you know- but I do have a tradition of drafting people to be leprechauns for me.  This includes my son as a five year old and the wee children of friends who to this day laugh with me over pictures their parents have of them dressed as leprechauns.  My leprechauns tell stories of what the life of a leprechaun is like, often with some coaching in advance.  I have also had some naturals who could spin an Irish yarn faster than you could kiss the Blarney stone. 

With that in mind, Scott found me my perfect leprechaun.  This is where my grown son and a couple retired teacher friends breathe a sigh of relief, hoping not to be asked again to play the part.  One friend leaves the country every year in March for safe cover. 

So my more sensible self takes over (yes, I have one of those) and I tell Scott we are not going to approach this unknown grocery store clerk and tell him he looks like a leprechaun……until I see him.

Now it’s game on.  He really does look like a leprechaun.  He could have just left a casting call for the film  “Luck of the Irish.”  Scott is urging me… “Just tell him”  I walk over to him and say “Would you mind if I took your picture and used it in a story?” I am not brave enough to actually ask him to be a leprechaun.  My church party is off this year, and I cannot bring an outsider to school.   But oh the temptation.  My husband chimes in “Are you Irish?”  Now that’s a much better question than “Are you a leprechaun?”  I will give him that.  He says no, he’s Greek.  Short of being Irish the other ethnicity I have long had the strongest affinity for is Greek- there he is my Greek leprechaun.    Scott then tells him that he must also have some leprechaun blood at which point we all laugh hard.

He  says goodbye with a twinkle in his eye, that only a leprechaun could have…

BTW if you want to show your class a real leprechaun.  Look at Ireland’s Eye on line.  They have a camera set up in the woods of Tippperary to secretly catch pictures of leprechauns.  I teach English as a second language, and along with it snippets of American culture.  First one student sees something move in the picture, then someone else sees it too.  Every St Patrick’s Day they leave my room  dressed in a variety of green shamrock covered kitsch  screaming with delight that they really did see a leprechaun, and I reassure them that they did.

You see what I mean….. He is even wearing green!!!! And, he has a sense of humor. Leprechauns are real after all!