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Friday, May 15, 2009

Surreal or what?

Do you ever have a surreal moments in your life? Its been aaaaages since I've had one, but I had to stop and take it all in! I wish I had my camera to help describe this moment becuase i have a feeling my words won't be enough. So here it goes....

Last Wednesday I was in Shannon airport heading for the UK, while still airside I saw a man who looked very familiar talking with a young Irish woman. As i got closer i could hear what he was saying in his american accent "sorry mam, but I don't know you", she said "but you look so familiar". Just what i was thinking. And then I realised I knew who he was. It was Martin Sheen. And the funny thing is (my) Martin and I were talking about him the night before. He was quoted on the Irish news as saying "Acting is what I do for a living, activism is what I do to stay alive." Cool or what!

Did you know while he was in Ireland studying in NUI he signed a petition in support of the Shell to Sea campaign? He was also quoted discussing the action group against the war in Iraq who damaged a US military plane that had stopped over at Shannon in 2003.... uncanny!?

So there was me all chuffed, after seeing him here in Shannon. I went through security to airside, walked through the small duty free section and as I rounded the corner what i saw next was the most surreal moment of my life that I had to stop and take all in.... every where i looked were american military in uniform, and i mean every where i looked. I've often seen them here as they pass through but not this many. There must have been a couple of hundred of these figures... in every corner, on every seat, at every table (except mine)... EVERYWHERE! It was like a scene from a surreal David Lynch movie. I still can't believe it and so wished I had a camera to capture this moment.

It wasn't until I came home, relaxed and removed all thoughts of work that I connected the whole scene. How uncanny, how surreal, one moment there was Martin Sheen the activist and then there was a couple hundred military... I'm glad they didn't meet!

2 comments:

Kate said...

Wow that was an experience!!
Martin Sheen spends a lot of time here in North Tipp during the summer and with Shannon being the handiest airport that's probably the one he uses!
Hope you're keeping well babes xx

CoCo said...

It's funny how sometimes you think someone is familiar even though it's cos they are a celeb and you haven't copped it yet. I once gave a big wave to a familiar lady walking down the street in Galway, sure that I must know her. She waved back, less enthusiastically though! Then I realised it was actually Dana!
Martin Sheen did Marine Science in NUIG (they always had a dossier time than us I felt!) but he has said since that college is for young ones....he couldn't keep up with the social life associated. It'd be mad if he was one of your 'college friends' though.