This is my 33rd day in Ireland and my last full day here. Is there anything I am leaving on the table? Anything I feel I need to accomplish today before I go? Sitting in front of my laptop, I spend several minutes pondering this question. The sun is out again today. The temperature is an incredible 80 F (26 C). When I reflect more deeply on this question, my heart is not into chasing the dragon today. My cup overflows with fantastic experiences. What more could I add? I think needing to add one more thing is a residual feeling associated with shorter trips I've taken. Gotta squeeze everything possible into every single minute of the holiday. Not today. Today, I simply want to BE. My purpose for today is? Do nothing and enjoy the day. It is the one thing I have not done in Ireland. So how do you nothing? Read on.
What better place to do nothing than at a park? I leave Jacob's Inn with only one destination in mind, St. Stephen's Green. You can learn more about and see an aerial image of the idyllic St. Stephens Green, an oasis in the middle of a concrete and stone jungle. The park has interesting cultural and historical stories. Today, though, my I'm not playing tourist. I will do as the locals. I enter the park through this magnificent northwest gate. 
I wander through the beautiful park. Right away, the large mature trees catch my eye. Now, I know exactly what I am looking for. I make my way through the park. I follow various paths. I don't know or care where they take me. I'll know when I arrive. I wander through a large grove of trees. Then, I spot a large tree, the biggest one I've seen today. No one is near it. Perfect! I walk up to it, place my hand on the trunk, then sit comfortably with my back against it. I spend the next 3+ hours sitting there doing nothing. I enjoy the breeze, people, and birds. My mind is clear and focused on only one thing-what is occurring right here, right now. Below is a partial view of the tree.
I take the last 20 min to meditate in the shade of the tree. After I am done, it occurs to me that I have never taken the time to visit a park and do nothing while I've traveled before. Call it a mental health day if it helps bring understanding. I'm living abroad now. I don't need to be on the go constantly. Today is one of those special days and the best weather I have had in over a month. St. Stephens Green is a scenic and restful place to visit. I encourage you to take the time out of your busy schedule to enjoy this treasure in Dublin. It is very close to a shopping district and easy to find. Who knows, maybe you'll be blessed with a fantastic day like this too!
Feeling recharged, content, and hungry, I resume wandering through the park. I take very few pictures today. The photo below is an exception, taken from the middle of the park.
As I pass St. Mary's Church, a young gentleman is out front setting up his amplifier. I'm guessing he's in his late 20s or early 30s. He strums his guitar. After a few words, I recognize the song. I sit on the steps of the church. Zombie by the Cranberries. He has a beautiful soulful voice. His rendition of this song might be better than the original.
Zombie was written by the now deceased Irish songwriter Dolores O'Riordan (County Limerick). She is a great example of how Irish people have impacted the world. The song was written in 1993 following an IRA bombing in Warrington, Cheshire. In 1992 and 1993, the IRA expanded their bombings to include several locations in England. On that tragic day, the IRA's bomb claimed two innocent lives of children. Dolores wrote the song out of anger following the tragedy. Her purpose was to raise awareness about the senseless killings of the IRA. However, the lyrics have no reference to the IRA. Zombie has become an anthem for innocents unwillingly trapped in other people's violence. Below are the first couple of verses. You can watch the
official video here with footage from the Troubles in 1994.
Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence, caused such silence
Who are we mistaken?
But you see, it's not me
It's not my family
In your head, in your head, they are fighting
With their tanks, and their bombs
And their bombs, and their guns
In your head, in your head they are crying
I leave after the song is completed. I pull up Google for ideas on restaurants. I quickly put my phone back in my pocket. I am not interested in reading reviews right now. I decided to let my feet guide me. After wandering through several streets in the general direction of the hostel, I stop in front of The Old Storehouse Bar and Restaurant. I hear live music. An older gentleman is singing Wonderwall by Oasis. I walk in and sit at a table next to a family of 5 from Detroit.
"You can sit there, but we have proprietary rights on the breeze," the gentleman says while laughing. His wife opens the window wider to allow more air into the stuffy bar. We strike up a conversation. They are on vacation in Ireland with their three daughters, who are in college, for two weeks. We break off the conversation as our food arrives. Meanwhile, the performer is playing great songs-Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2, and Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan.
I wrap up dinner, settle my bill, and wish the folks next to me well on the rest of their vacation. "Enjoy The Wander!" is the last thing the gentleman says to me. The best thing he could have said to me. Walking out of the bar, I hear someone shout, "Play Wonderwall!" The artist responds, "Already played it. You should have been here. It was Epic!" he says. I laugh to myself as I step out the door.
I make my way back to the hostel. It is early, only about 830 now. I want to sort through my pack before it gets too late. My flight is at 1130 am to Nice, France in the morning. I want to ensure I have everything ready to go before I get to the airport. I don't usually do much before 10 nowadays. Waiting till the morning for me is not a sound plan. My Dyneema stuff sack that I use to protect my backpack at the airport doubles as a dry bag inside my pack when I'm on foot. I wonder if my backpack will still fit inside the Dyneema bag in the morning.
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