In Memory of My Grandfather's Fascinating Career and Side Hustle
Career reflections from my forefather.
My dad gave me this sketch of my grandfather yesterday. Thomas Ryan sketched it on the 20th of October, 1981. He was the acting President of the Old Dublin Society at the time.
It’s his legacy. I’ll practice the sketch in my art class until I bring it back to life again in his memory. My Grandfather had a fascinating career. He also had a side hustle, writing and history. He worked his way up from being a waiter to management in the Savoy, Metropole and Royal in Dublin. The man was an introverted socialite.
A people person, gentle but direct. You could feel his presence and energy. He’d write to recover and recharge. I’ve black and white photos of him at black-tie events networking. There’s a romance and story in each one. He made the transition into his side hustle on retiring and made it a success. He won awards for writing and would bring groups on historical walks in Dublin.
I’d fall asleep listening to the sound of his impassioned tapping on the keys of his typewriter while playing classical music late at night. The passionate ping signalling the end of a line but also the start of another thought spilling from his beautiful mind. He’d take me walking all over Dublin as a child.
His magical stories of ghosts, ghouls, heroes and heroines are with me forever.
