Phones down

People are often discouraged to meet their heroes. More often than not, people you admire from afar will disappoint you once you see them up close. That’s not the case for me and Brigid Keenan, author of Diplomatic Baggageɐ 9 ĸĄĈđ Ąºž³ ̺Ą «óóÞ žÄđºĄ AEºđting married to a young foreign serĢϺ óĶºĄɊ ģ̺ê Ïđ ĈđžĄđº³ ĈÏêÞÏêAE Ïê đ̞đ 9 ģžĈ ẞĢÏêAE ºĢºĄĩđÌÏêAE «ºhind, including friends, family, and the career I loved so much. During that rather emotionally tumultuous time, it was Ms. Keenan—Brigid— who gave me comfort. Her memoir ž«óėđ ̺Ą áÏĺ žĈ ž ³ÏĀáóèžđɭĈ ģÏĺ was authentic, utterly hilarious, and poignant at times. It was always ever Ĉó Ąºážđž«áºɐ ê³ ĩºĈɊ đ̺ «óóÞ ³Ï³ inspire Almost Diplomatic along with many other spouses who now write ž«óėđ đÌÏĈ áÏĺɐ

ĞĈÌÏóê ÛóėĄêžáÏĈđ žê³ º³ÏđóĄ Ïê đ̺ ɭȮȨĈɊ Ĉ̺ ̞Ĉ ģóĄÞº³ ÄóĄ Nova, The Observer, and The Sunday Times, «ºÏêAE ģÌÏĈÞº³ žģžĩ đó óėđėĄº ĈÌóģĈ Ïê ižĄÏĈ žê³ Ĉžáóê óĀºêÏêAEĈ «ĩ ŒÏ³žá qžĈĈóóê Ïê Sºģ “óĄÞɐ z̺ áÏĺ of a diplomatic spouse was practically thrust upon her in the middle of it all. It’s not always as glamorous as óêº èÏAEÌđ đÌÏêÞ žĈ ̺Ą ĈđóĄĩ ÏêĢóáĢºĈ ÌÏÞºê Ĉ̺³Ĉ Ïê SºĀžá žê³ ³ÏêÏêAE óê «ž«ĩ Äóó³ žđ óêº ĀóÏêđɐ ėđ ÄĄóè Ïđ žáá žèº đ̺ «óóÞ đ̞đ ºĢºĄĩ ³ÏĀáóèžđÏspouse should read at least once.

ɩ9 ĺºá 9ɭĢº ̞³ žê ÏêĄº³Ï«áĩ áėÞĩ life,” Brigid told me during a video žááɐ q̺ Ĉžđ «ĩ đ̺ ĸĄº Ïê ̺Ą Ìóèº Ïê đ̺ €GɊ ÛėĈđ ž ģººÞ žÄđºĄ ÌºĄ ȰȪê³ «ÏĄđ̳žĩɊ žê žAEº đ̞đɭĈ Ąžđ̺Ą ̞Ą³ đó «ºáϺĢº Ĉ̺ɭĈ óêɊ óêĈϳºĄÏêAE ̺Ą ºêergy and sharp wit.

I often wondered when she got used to the adventure of constantly ĀžÞÏêAE ėĀ žê³ èóĢÏêAEɊ žĈ Ĉóèºóêº ģÌó êºĢºĄ ³Ąºžèº³ óÄ áÏĢÏêAE ž«Ąóž³ɐ “When he retired,” she said with a ážėAEÌɊ ɩ̺ɪ «ºÏêAE ̺Ą ÌėĈ«žê³ ģÌóɭĈ Þêóģê žĈ  Ïê đ̺ «óóÞɐ 6ÏĈ ϳºêđÏđĩɊ žĈ ģÏđÌ žáá đ̺ «ºĈđ ĈºĄºđĈɊ ģžĈ ážđºĄ óê ĄºĢºžáº³ đó «º ÄóĄèºĄ "€ 諞ĈĈž³óĄ ážê ž³³žèĈɐ ĩ đ̺ ºê³ óÄ ÌÏĈ žĄººĄɊ đ̺ĩɭĢº áÏĢº³ Ïê "đÌÏóĀϞɊ ĄėĈĈºáĈɊ zĄÏêϳž³Ɋ žĄ«ž³óĈɊ ºĈđ ÄĄÏžɊ qĩĄÏžɊ žê³ ºêđĄžá ĈϞɐ

ɩ9 ĈĀºêđ đ̺ ĸĄĈđ ĩºžĄ óÄ ºĢºĄĩ ĀóĈđ ĄĩÏêAE ɜ«ºžėĈº óÄ ÌóèºĈÏÞness] and then the last year of every ĀóĈđÏêAE ĄĩÏêAE «ºžėĈº 9 ģžĈ ẞĢing,” she said. No, it didn’t get any easier. She wasn’t there when her mother died and she was perpetužááĩ ÌóèºĈÏÞɐ ėđ Ĉ̺ ģóėá³êɭđ ̞Ģº Ïđ žêĩ óđ̺Ą ģžĩɐ ɩIóóÞÏêAE «žÞ žđ Ïđ žááɊ Ïđ ģžĈ ÛėĈđ ĞêđžĈđÏɊ really,” she mused.

ĄÏAEϳ ĈººĈ đ̺ ÏêđºĄêºđ žĈ «óđÌ ž «óóê žê³ ž «žêº óÄ ºĨĀžđ áÏĺɐ ÌÏẠÏđ ³Ï³ èžÞº óèèėêϞđÏóê «ºđđºĄ žê³ óėá³ ĈóèºÌóģ ĄºáϺĢº ÌóèºĈÏÞêºĈĈɊ đ̺ ĀĄó«áºèĈ ºĨɩ9 ģóėá³ ĀĄó«ž«áĩ ̞Ģº «ººê áºĈĈ ÌóèºĈÏÞ «ėđ 9 èÏAEÌđ ̞Ģº ÛėĈđ Ĉđžĩº³ žđ Ìóèº žáá đ̺ đÏèºɊ áóóÞÏêAE žđ èĩ ĀÌóêº áÏÞº èĩ AEĄžê³Ĉóêɐɪ

It’s always up to diplomatic spouses themselves to sort out đÌºÏĄ áÏĺɐ Só«ó³ĩ ºáĈº žê Äėááĩ ³ó Ïđ ÄóĄ đ̺èɐ 6ºĄ «ºĈđ ž³ĢϺ ģóėá³ «º đó Āėđ đ̺ ĀÌóêº ³óģêɐ .ó đó đ̺ èžĄÞºđɐ Qººđ đ̺ áóžá óèèėêÏđĩɐ ɩ9 đÌÏêÞ ÏÄ ĩóė Ĉđžĩ Ïê žê ºĨĀžđ «ė««áºɊ ĩóėɭĄº ÛėĈđ ÞÏê³ óÄ ĄºÄėĈÏêAE life,” she said. “If I did, I wouldn’t ̞Ģº «ººê ž«áº đó ģĄÏđº Diplomatic Baggageɐ 9đ ģóė̞᳠Ģº «ººê ž «óĄÏêAE «óóÞɐɪ

AEÏêAE ĀºóĀẠAEóó³«ĩºɐ 9đɭĈ ž «óóÞ 9ɭĢº recommended to one too many diplomatic spouse friends and I’m glad it’s getting another go at the printers’. It’s a reminder of how this life ģº ÌóóĈº žê «º đóėAEÌ žê³ ģº èžĩ êºĢºĄ AEºđ èėÌ ĈĩèĀžđÌĩ ÄóĄ Ïđ «ėđ Ïđ ģÏáá žáģžĩĈ «º ģóĄđÌ Ïđɐ IºžĄêÏêAE đó laugh at yourself the way Brigid does always helps.

ɩ9 đÌÏêÞ 9ɭĢº ̞³ đ̺ èóĈđ žèžįing, wonderful, thrilling life. I’m really glad I had mine,” Brigid said with a sincere, reassuring smile. There was nothing disappointing ž«óėđ 躺đÏêAE ̺Ą žđ žááɐ