Sometimes it's okay to say hello

I like Dublin. I like meeting people and I like seeing new things. I love the art that's there - often it's not recognised (and I'll blog about that later) but sometimes the things you find are a little special.

Do you - if you spend much time in Dublin city centre - recognise this man?



His name is Paul. He's 29 - same age as me. He knows some of the same people I do - he talks to my friend Pat a lot. He doesn't like the rain, but has a good attitude to taking the good with the bad.

Not many people talk to Paul. Yet they know his art. They'll stop and look, and sometimes take pictures. When they see Paul he looks like this:



Paul is drawing for a living. He's homeless, and rather than just beg, he writes and illustrates his poem at the end of Grafton Street beside the Molly Malone or sometimes near O' Connell Bridge.



Sometimes he'll just be finished and it will rain, or skangers will try to vandalise it or the guards will move him on before he finishes.

And if he does finish, people will come up. Some will donate, some will just take photos and move on. Many don't say a word.

That can't be easy.

So even if I don't have change or much time, I try to stop and say hello. He's a nice guy and he's very talented. He was very open to me taking these photos and talking to him. He said that he likes to talk to people, when they talk to him.



It made me think of this song, something we learned in 5th class. One of those songs I still know off by heart.