Happy St. Patty’s Day!

You won’t find someone more Irish than I am, nor more proud of his heritage. But I’ve never seen the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland as a reason to quaff green beer or don some silly green outfit.

Maybe it’s because St. Pat’s always falls during Lent, and for the past few years I have given up beer. Yeah, I know. It’s kind of an extreme position.

There are those who believe that you actually get a dispensation on Sunday from your Lenten vows. I’ve always considered that cheating. Same goes for St. Pat’s.

I defer to the folks who know something about this holiday, the people of Ireland, where the holiday is still more of a religious holiday.

So yes, I’ll try to make a stop in church at some point during the day. And later I’ll maybe break out my copy of the John Wayne classic, “The Quiet Man.”

Beats the loads of blarney floating around today by those faux Irish. Besides, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, visit Ireland, where I am told I still have some distant relatives.

I always tell everyone that it’s on my list of things to do. I guess you could call it my “bucket list,” things I’d like to accomplish before I die.

The list gets longer every day. Drinking green beer is not on it.