40     POT O’ GOLD             

KEY CONCEPTS:  hoarding, greed, surprise, unexpected gains, hidden treasure, daydreams.

MESSAGE:  A leprechaun slides down the rainbow, clutching a shamrock for luck and daydreaming of his own importance. He could’ve remained aloft if he stopped taking advantage and took his place as an instrument of giving instead.  This little fellow kicks his heels presumptuously as he obstructs the natural flow of blessings.  He’s stuffed all his misgivings into his emerald coat and hangs onto them like dubious doubloons in an overflowing Pot O’ Gold.  A closer gander reveals his “riches” as shabby, plastic trinkets; fear hardly constitutes treasure.  Have you been hoarding, dear traveler?  It takes root when we’re frightened and clinging to the past.  Beneath material clutter lies emotional rummage of bitterness or yearning for yesterday.  Any way you stack it, hoarding is messy; it’s a barricade to peace.  How will you rest amid utter disarray?  Why hoard grief and grudges?   Don’t let your heart place greater value on material security than spiritual bliss.   

Our mischievous sprite wields infamous trickery; he’s based his whole existence on the lie that coins have value.  He’s hidden his assets deep in the dirt, breeding dark offshoots like stagnation and isolation.  His clever wit and subterfuge surely must secure his stash from prying meddlers.  Unwilling to trust a soul, he prides himself on staying three steps ahead. Does he believe he’ll advance past the “rabble” if he cannot share?  Setting up a stagnant storehouse quickly summons pests to part you from your precious pearls; failure to circulate gifts renders them useless. 

If you drew Pot O’ Gold, remember:  neither precious metal nor plastic trifle satisfies a hungry belly, and nothing tastes savory when you always eat alone.  Spiritual health requires expansiveness in both thought and deed.  Unexpected boons greet all who share good fortune:  Shamrock, TX was an oil boomtown, so named for luck by an Irish immigrant rancher.  Shamrocks represent trinities, and the town is no stranger to these: faith, hope and love…life, death and rebirth.  Celebrated as a Route 66 destination, it’s known for its legendary Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations beginning in 1938, and its famed U-Drop-Inn.

RELATED SITES:  U-DROP-IN, SHAMROCK, TX; SHAMROCK COURT, SULLIVAN, MO; SHAMROCK MOTOR COURT, SPRINGFIELD MO.