Even though you wouldn’t know it by my name – I’m Irish. It’s something I was was dimly aware of as a teenager, and something I’ve come to embrace as I’ve gotten older and realized my last name isn’t that of my biological father.

So what is St. Patrick’s Day? According to my friend Ron and a link he posted, something mighty bad. According to David Plotz at Slate, something to take pause of and be thankful for.

Me? The lack of cultural upbringing I had leads me to think of something far more recent – the North Ireland peace process and the hope it brings for the world. Differences that seem intractable and unbridgeable can be met. And not always does it need to lead to blood.

And yeah, I’ll have a drink to that.