Patrick Murphy's Annual St. Patrick's Day Event

This evening I stopped in at the Ancient Order of the Hibernians in Bristol for Patrick Murphy's annual St. Patrick's Day event.  I like this event -- it's my third time attending.  It is not so much a political event as it is a community event, and is priced accordingly.  There was live music and Irish dancers.  The food was pretty good (though if there was a dessert table I missed it); the company was nice.  Usually at political events I find a quiet spot in a corner and hunker down with discretely placed paper and pen.  At this one, though, I can join just about any table and be comfortable.  There isn't a lot of self-congratulation or social climbing.  If anyone who wonders who I am and why I'm there they keep it to themselves.  You engage in small talk with others at the table.  People ask if they can borrow a chair.  It's neighbors visiting with neighbors.

Murphy went around and talked with people but not in an organized way.  He wasn't working the room table by table.  He'd stand in one place and people would come to talk with him then one of his kids would zoom by and he'd shift a few feet and some other people would come up and talk to him.  For me, at least, it was a nice change of pace from what had been an otherwise hectic day.  Murphy is running for statewide office, Attorney General, and it's great to see that he is still holding this event in his hometown area.