Jervis Shopping Center

I was waiting for my hotel shuttle

After a long flight from Dallas to Dublin

The rain was drizzling as it tends to do in Ireland

I was just so glad to be there

And to be starting on my much-anticipated vacation

I could not wait to see the sites

Go to Temple Bar, see the Cliffs of Moher

Kiss the Blarney Stone, have a beer at Guiness Storehouse

Walk into St. Patrick’s Cathedral, stroll over Ha’penny Bridge,

See the library at Trinity College, marvel at the Book of Kells

Down a couple (or more) glasses of Jameson,

Eat lots of Irish stew and shepherd's pie

I had my days planned out in intricate minute detail

This was a once in a lifetime excursion for me

I sat down on the bus bench with my suitcase between my knees

I know I looked haggard and felt filthy

I just wanted a shower

And to start getting over jet lag I knew was about to hit

But I was so happy and excited

When a little older lady sat down beside on the bus bench

I smiled and nodded at her.

She smiled and said hello to me

She was a little tiny thing

Red hair with white streaks

Wrapped up sensibly in a lavender colored raincoat

And the brightest blue eyes I ever saw

She radiated the beauty honed through centuries of

Of good genetics and DNA

She asked if I was a visitor and where I was from

I replied, yes and told her I was from the States

She perked up, touched my arm,

And said, “Oh!, you have to the Jervis Shopping Center!

They have a Kentucky Fried Chicken there!”

I was not expecting that, but

It brought a huge smile to my face

This kind little lady wanted to make me feel at home

She wanted to make me feel welcome in her home

She was as enamored of the exoticness of Kentucky Fried Chicken

As I was anticipating enjoying mounds of Irish stew

And plates of shepherd's pie

I loved her kindness and thoughtfulness, and

I didn’t have the heart to tell her

That KFC would not be on my list of sites to see

Instead, I sincerely thanked her for her advice and assured her I would check it out

She was so sweet and kind,

Traits I ran into all through my visit to Ireland

But, with all due respect to Colonel Sanders,

Visiting a KFC in Dublin, Ireland did not make

It to my list of must-dos in Dublin, Ireland

- Julie O'Hara

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