Talk of the Marketplace: Grafton Street

The marketplace. While it is often known as a chief shopping center for locals and tourists alike, an outsider can also glean into what makes the city's inhabitants tick. What exactly is there to buy? How do the people determine which products are more important than others? And how do they amuse themselves as they attempt to decide on which store or bazaar to go to next? Many cities' marketplaces answer these questions, and Dublin is no exception. One can know how people behave in this center just by assessing the mass of people conglomerating and moving through Grafton Street--Dublin's marketplace.

One must wonder what every individual in this sea of people must be thinking as they hustle and bustle through the street, wondering where certain stores are at. It is so easy for us as humans to think of these people as part of the ocean we have to navigate in order to get to our desired destination. But if we can think of every person in that ocean as individual people with drastically different stories and with real wants, needs, and desires, we can come to appreciate such seas of people as part of our new experiences--even if they may have strange reasons to support Donald Trump (of course, to each his own). Some of these people may be wondering what the latest fashion trend is and how they can afford to buy it (not that most people, myself included, would care). Guys may be asking themselves which gifts would be good to give to their special woman--a tradition that can yield great pleasure or immense heartbreak. As for others and myself, they may just be thinking where is a good place to eat. In essence, such thoughts contribute to the artfulness we can appreciate in the ocean of people when we encounter it.

When one is wanting to rest from trying to figure out what to buy, street performers are there to entertain them. As one would expect, there are a plethora of street performers that perform different talents. One such performer rode on a tall unicycle while perilously juggling knives to the delight of the crowd. Other street performers are more benign, with most just showcasing their skill with a musical instrument like a guitar or a saxophone (as pictured above). Other performers may show their dance moves to a certain tune. Other people may also talk to total strangers about certain beliefs. As an example, a Christian evangelist may pass out tracts showing them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and asking them to make a decision for Him. People usually rebuff them, but some are willing to hear them out as they explain the Gospel to them--which are usually interesting conversations to listen to. All in all, Dublin's Grafton Street is a place where one can learn much about the city--and possibly all of Ireland. It is a beautiful place, and a person visiting there will not be disappointed with what this has to offer.