St. Stephen's Green

St. Stephen's Green is a beautiful, quiet sanctuary in the middle of a bustling city.  You can come here out of the noise and traffic to slow down, breath fresh air, and enjoy a scenic stroll through lush, green landscape.  It could be compared to Central Park in New York, though it only occupies a fraction of the space.  Still, once you walk through the black, iron gate, you feel like you've stepped into a different world.

The city has to work to survive.  It's a constant effort to keep itself moving, keep people happy and organized and flowing in the right direction.  It's streets and buildings need constant attention to keep up appearances.  The park, in contrast, seems to be effortlessly beautiful and at peace, as opposed to the organized chaos of the surrounding streets.  It is a testament to the natural state of being. Granted, there are portions of the park that are more visually appealing because they're looked after, but even without interference from man, the trees and grass would grow, the flowers would bloom after sweet visits
from the rain, and the ducks would continue to
play in the ponds.

As I walked my way through, I sang softly to myself, and it was extremely relaxing.  People do that here, as a side note, they sing to themselves as they walk.  It's a great expression of your mood and sharing with your surroundings a bit about how you're feeling.  Most of the songs you hear are cheery, though some are also thoughtful, others reflective.  I've taken up the habit.

I came to the far end of the park, and saw a striking statue (pictures to the left).   The piece was a jarring contrast to it's resting place, and I could immediately feel darkness, sadness, and helplessness, all radiating out of it.  Misery and unavoidable death were the first messages I took, and despite the fact I could see it trying to convey helpful humanity and appreciation, those attempts at a positive spin were overwhelmed by the dark reality of the situation.  The title of the piece- "Famine".
Really, the artist did a fantastic job of molding his materials into an emotional symbol.  The way the figures held themselves, the weight of the world crippling their frail frames, the desperate reach to the heavens for salvation, the touch in thanks as a kind sip of nutrition is shared... I blinked away tears as the scene played out in front of me.  This was a very real situation for so many people, and I was thankful for the charmed life i live.
After reflecting for a bit, I continued the walk, trying to leave the message in its place, heard and understood.  I came up to this beautiful tree, white blossoms in full bloom, and it gave the illusion of snow lightly covering the branches. Visually stunning.  (Picture to the left)  I walked across the bridge and was distracted by the noisy ducks, fighting over breadcrumbs a little girl was throwing into the water from the bank.  I remembered feeding the ducks back home when my brothers and I were little, how much fun it was, but how their noisy aggression scared me a bit.

On the other side of the bridge newlyweds were taking wedding pictures.  The bride was in a simple but beautiful white gown, her bridesmaids in a bouquet of different, vibrant colors.  I looked at the bride and groom as they strolled around, hand in hand, led to and fro by the photographer, and

I wondered if they would be happy in their decision ten, twenty, fifty years later.  Did they have a concept of what they were committing to?  How could you really unless you'd done it before?  I realised my view was sarcastic, but wondered how many of the family and friends that watched as they went along shared my mindset.
I finished up my circuit, gulped in a couple last breaths of the fragrant air, and promised the park i would be back to visit often.  My apartment would only be a 15 minute walk away at most, and this would definitely be one of my regular hiding places.  I'd found a gem to be sure.