Against doctor’s orders, and just two days prior to my delivery in NYC, on April 30th of 1946, my mother kidnapped me from our family home in Newport, County Mayo, Ireland. After a full term gestation in The Old Sod, she rightfully called me her steak and Guinness baby. My guess is that her intent was to nip the emigration issue in the bud. Thus, I carry both USA and EU passports.
My father Nial Edward Brendon O’Malley, was Irish. Born in London, reared in Ireland, and Biarritz, in the South of France, and educated in England, (Eton). He had great talent as an artist and writer. All around "Pops" was an interesting lunatic, a totally inappropriate father, marvelous travel guide, fabulous teller of tales, linguist, connoisseur of fine food and drink, lover of dance and music, inveterate traveler, totally detached from the reality of parenthood, and provider of really good bad examples.
My mother, Julie Holland, an American, was born into an exceptional family from NJ. Her parents Edward, & Lillian, were the greatest grandparents on earth! Ma had vast cultural and intellectual interests, was a caring mother of eight, a reasonably good cook, and the reason the family stayed sane(ish). She was my pal, source of many excellent jokes, encouragement, and the person who domestically enslaved me throughout my childhood.
Under my parents unusual and mind expanding care, along with my seven younger siblings, I lived in three countries and six states. We experienced multiple lifestyle and religion changes, (Dad was Catholic, Mom was Episcopalian, so; I was confirmed in both churches!). Because we constantly moved like a herd of Bison, I attended thirteen different schools before a miraculous graduation from high school. I gleefully admit to having had the bare bones minimum of formal education. In my usual seat at the back of the class, I’d stare out of school room windows at swooping and gliding birds, and the surrounding woods with seasonally changing colors. This was my way to avoid the boredom of an American public education. Day dreaming was far more interesting! Graduating from High School was most likely a generous gift from an enraged group of teachers who never wanted to see me again.
Following that horrifyingly boring experience I took various and sundry elective courses that scratched my intellectual curiosity. Mostly art, cooking, and language classes; and some highly specialized courses like Air Traffic Control, real estate, and aquaculture. By the grace of God, I’ve managed to achieve acceptable levels of success in a variety of endeavors. Air Traffic Control, and later, my own sales and marketing business, put bread on the table and greatly entertained me for many years. Here in N'Awlins, my occupation is residential real estate sales. I love architecture and people so it’s the perfect job for me. A few years ago it crossed my mind that if done right, and with integrity, a real estate agent can do immense good for their clients. So, the occupation is very satisfying all around. (see www.middieomalley.com).
But no matter my occupation I always found time to do avocational things "on the side". My free time has been occupied, at various times, with acting, radio announcing, professional voice work, and writing for publications. Community involvement is important to me. When living on Cape Cod I was a town volunteer Shell Fish Warden. How the confiscated shellfish from evil doers wound up under my dock I’ll never know. Here in NOLA, for five years I was a DJ on WWOZ, and currently I serve on the Board of Directors for The Boys & Girls Clubs of S.E. Louisiana.
In 1986, I started what became a nationally recognized sales and marketing company with my now deceased wife, Dorinda. Her tragic loss due to an out of the blue heart attack in 1996 almost killed me as a human being, and I completely lost interest in life. Finally, in 2003, I had a chance to save myself, and made a series of important decisions. Seizing the opportunity, I began to divest myself, a la Etch-A-Sketch, of my entire prior life, including the business, a lovely home on Cape Cod, and a beautiful home in the west of Ireland, all of which were emotionally destructive pieces of a shattered past.
Knowing I needed to move to an entirely different location to complete this project, I asked myself an important question. "What do you like in life"? The answer came right off the top of my head, "Arts and culture, history and architecture, cuisine, music, and a funky social mix. Enter New Orleans. It's here that I started an entirely new and gratifying existence. After surviving some good old fashioned hurricanes and a flood that almost killed us all, I am proud to say that New Orleans is my home sweet home. No other city in the USA, save my home town of New York comes close to its ability to entertain and embrace. I do love South Louisiana, and also have a big soft spot for coastal Rhode Island, and Maine, as well.
Long, early morning, bicycle rides on the levee bike path, a walk in Audubon Park, cooking, motorcycling, going for a spin in a sports car, rowing, (pre N.O. I was a good skier), lots of travel, occasional fine dining, the Louisiana Philharmonic, (fab season tickets), Jazz and Blues joints, coastal living and boating, a bit of gardening, trap & skeet shooting, studying languages, writing short stories and poems, and socializing with good friends and family over great food and drink, are important things that I enjoy.
My life is blessed, I’ve been honored with two great loves, and more good things than I ever imagined could happen. And plus, boredom, the greatest sin, is never a factor. I love my home, my little nest, and I thank God for the gifts of eternal enthusiasm, a first rate survival instinct, a sense of humor, and a good work ethic, (when I choose to use it). Hallelujah for inner peace, and the strength to survive the usual attack of God knows what. Those two talents are what have allowed me, after all the bashings, to remain abundantly alive! What a bloody miracle! Great friends and family are important to me, and equally important is to never forget that we are here on earth to enjoy ourselves. How pleasant to do so in the great city of New Orleans, and to wander the meadows of life’s creation, picking the occasional pretty flower.