Tucked into my wallet is a lucky charm, a metal tag engraved with “WWED?” — which stands for “what would Elvis do?”
I also carry a chestnut that my aunt gave me a few years ago with the suggestion that I rub the nut whenever I wish for good luck.
I don’t panic if I leave my charms at home, but I do like to carry good luck.
From time to time, the good luck doesn’t hold, like the occasion when I was on a tour in Ireland several years ago and asked our guide — and everyone within earshot — if he’d ever come across a lucky four-leaf clover. As soon as I spoke up, I realized this dumb American had confused a four-leaf clover and a three-leaf shamrock, which in Ireland symbolizes the Holy Trinity and in America symbolizes Ireland.
I guess I’m not the only one to make the mistake. You might recall the hubbub after Guinness advertisements celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and beer went up in Toronto subway stations. The posters contained a maple leaf for Canada and a four-leaf clover in place of a shamrock for Ireland. The Irish Times mocked the design: “Guinness shamrock ad has one too many … leaves.”
I’ve had the good fortune to find two four-leaf clovers in fields near Anna Maria Island, but have yet to find one on the island.
However, I have seen other signs of good luck on the island, including rainbows minus the pots of gold, acorns, turtles, tortoises, crickets, dolphins, bamboo, ladybugs, dragonflies, frogs, eagles, two falling stars and even an elephant.
That’s right, an elephant. I can’t claim the pachyderm encounter occurred in natural Anna Maria Island but it was a wild afternoon thanks to the Beach Bistro’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade taking place.
Trouncing along on Marina Drive in Holmes Beach, leading the parade, was an elephant, symbol of luck, long life, loyalty, wisdom, power, strength and intelligence.
Parade organizer Sean Murphy admits an elephant has no connection to St. Patrick’s Day or Irish tradition, but claims some Irish people who indulge on that day do see elephants in their beer-instilled dreams.
Once the star of the parade, Judy the Elephant has since died, but the tradition of the Beach Bistro’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade continues.
Sometimes there are camels.
This year’s parade will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 17, departing from the parking lot at Marina and Gulf drives and traveling north on Marina and Palm Drive.
Murphy said all are invited to join in the celebration — in the parade or along the parade route. Participants will include school marching bands, bagpipers from Dunedin, the DeSoto Conquistadors and the Anna Maria Island Privateers.
My Irish eyes will be smiling.
And I expect to spot a few shamrocks, if not four-leaf clovers.
About this column
This column was published in The Islander newspaper.
Archives for The Islander are online here.