Sitting on a Story Blog

1)    The bench I have chosen is not a usual park bench.  The second we received this assignment I knew what bench I would use.  My bench is a sky blue wooden bench that does not look anything like the ordinary park bench.  There is no dedication, and there are no other benches nearby, it just stands alone in the corner between two cedar trees.  The bench very deep and the back extends far above your head.  I think it feels like it belongs on a porch of a beachfront house.  You are able to curl your kneed to your chest and have room for your feet to fit comfortably, or if you bring a blanket or towel, you can put it behind your back and sit lengthwise with your legs fully stretched.  I have visited this bench for a long time, at least 6 years.  I usually come on warm summer and spring days, and sit peacefully listening to birds and bees and enjoying the beauty of the surroundings.  I often sit here on this particular bench for hours and hours reading books, looking at the shapes the clouds make and enjoying the pure beauty of the garden, often not realizing the time has flown away.  I chose this bench because it is familiar to me, it has meaning to me and it is a place that I love spending time in. 

              2)   As I sit here and look around I am overlooking a beautiful garden.  Right now the flowers are not in bloom, but as spring rolls around tulips will start popping up, and in the summer all you will see is a sea of colour, of beautiful flowers and the leaves that accompany them.  But right now much of the garden is nearly bare; the only colours are green and brown from the trees, bushes and soil that occupy it.  As I sit here memories of past summers return.  I remember sitting here in the beautiful sunshine enjoying the peace and quiet.  It is only me and my thoughts out here and nothing else.  I have nobody pestering me to unload the dishwasher or clean my room, I am just here enjoying everything that surrounds me.  I would always leave my cell phone behind so it is truly just me and myself and I and the garden around me.  I feel a sense of calm, happiness and relaxation.  It is almost as if I am in another world and everything is perfect.  I am able to forget everything that is going on in my life and sit worry free and thought free.  I wish that everyday life was like this.  The world would be a much calmer place, people would not get angry and everyone would live happily.  Unfortunately this will never happen, people will always disagree and fight, and there will always be problems, troubles and worries, not matter what you do.  The world would not be able to function in a thought free and worry free environment.  However, the time I spend sitting here is my time of peace, it is the place when I can be in my perfect world, this is my dreamland.

            3)    If a bench were dedicated to me, I would like the bench to be in a quiet place, but not so quiet that no one would visit it.  I would like it to be an ordinary bench but I would want the arm rests on the side, to have a design and the body of the bench to be green.  I would want it to be a bench that people would be able to enjoy on a nice day, or be in a spot on a trail or pathway that would be useful for those who need a rest.  I would want the inscription to say, “live your life to the fullest and enjoy every moment” with my name at the bottom.  I would want that to be the inscription because I believe that people do not always live their life.  The more people are told, the more they will actually do it, and the world will be that much better.  I would want it to be a bench that I would sit on, and in a place that is memorable to me.

            4)    If I were to dedicate a bench, I would put it in a spot I know that individual would enjoy, and they would feel honored having a bench dedicated to them there.  The bench would be made to suit their personality and style.  I would make the inscription be a phrase that they would say or something they truly believed in.  I would want the bench to be quite personal because it is not a regular occurrence to have a bench dedicated to you.  I would want them to enjoy their bench and be proud of the accomplishments they made to enable them to have a bench.  

             
            5)    On my trip to the park, I walked a familiar path knowing exactly where I was headed.  I knew every bump in the road and where every crack lied.  It was quite cold outside and it wasn’t raining at the time but everything was damp from when it was raining a few hours previous to when I left.  The sky was a light grey colour and it was slowly growing darker as if it was going to rain again, and it was getting close to the sunset time.  After walking for about 20 minutes I reached my bench.  As I approached it I observed the garden, but in my mind I pictured it filled with flowers and bees and colour.  The bench was wet so I placed my rain jacket on the seat and sat down slowly.  I feel slightly from not remembering how deep the bench actually was.  I curled my knees to my chest mainly to keep warm, but almost always that is how I would sit.  Once I was seated and comfortable I looked at the garden how it actually was.  I looked at the fallen mushy leaves, the wet soil, the leafless trees and the barren garden.  It wasn’t the usual time I would come to sit here.  However sitting here made me miss the warm summer and spring days and it made me want to summer to arrive so much more.  I looked around at my surroundings remembering the books I had read while sitting there.  My bench time was cut short because it started to rain. At first it was just misting but it began raining very hard.   It became very dark, cold and wet so I walked quickly home.  During my walk I had many flashbacks of images of the garden and what I can’t wait it to look like.  Each year something is different, a new array of flowers, a new tree or freshly planted grass and I began to wonder what this year’s change would be.  My trip to the bench has made me excited for the summer and it has made me remember a part of my past.

6 & 7) The poem, A Brand New Day by Gladys M. Bonner suits how I look at everyday life and what I usually enjoy when I visit my bench.  When I sit on the bench it makes me remember life is wonderful.  The poem explains that at times it may be bad and there may be struggles but you always can get through them and enjoy the beauty of the day.  That is what occurs when I visit the bench, all of my problems go away and I enjoy the beauty of nature.  Every day is a new day and when you, “lift [your] head up to the sky”, remember and appreciate everything that you have.  There will always be moments when you are not sure where you are headed, “not sure of [your] confrontations”, but you must remember everything you have.  For me, taking a step away from the modern world helps clear my mind.  I separate myself from everything in my life whether it is good or bad and just enjoy what I am surrounded by.  You have to find an activity or a place that you find naturally beautiful, and enjoy that beauty, it helps you remember the beautiful parts of your life and the pieces that make you happy.  When you open your eyes keep in mind we are all in this world for a reason, enjoy your life and live it the way to want to.  Never question yourself, do what you believe is right and no matter what path it takes you on, in the end it will work out. 

A Brand New Day

© Gladys M. Bonner

When I wake early in the morning,

A brand new day I see,

I lift my head up to the sky,

And thank God for letting me be me.

Uncertain as to what the day will bring,

Don't know what lies ahead,

Not sure of my confrontations,

I ask God to guide me on the path Ill tread.

The birds sing their sweet, sweet song,

The bees hum their precious melody,

The wind blows where it wishes,

All coming together in perfect harmony.

Down on the ground the ants find their prey,

And the squirrel rambles from tree to tree,

The gopher finds its place in a hole,

And the rabbit roams aimlessly.

The beautiful lily blooms bright and fair,

The roses are red and pink and white,

The dandelions are ready for picking,

And the grass is green and full and bright.

How blue and beautiful the sky is above,

How lovely the stream and river and sea,

And each new day I open my eyes,

I thank God for letting me be me

8)    To some parks are useless, to some they are a greenery space and to some they are a place of gathering, a place you can come to too enjoy the outdoors.  In my opinion, I think parks are wonderful places.  When you are young you get so excited to go to the park and ride your bike, play on the play structures, run through the grass, you were free to do what you liked.  As you get older you may go to a park to hang out with friends, stop for a rest or walk through it to get to your final destination.  As an adult you may go to a park to get some time away from technology, take your child to play or go for a walk through nature.  Many parks are animal friendly as well, so many people visit parks to take their dog for a walk, which the dog would also enjoy.  Recently I heard a very touching story about a family who has a personal connection to the Grand Boulevard Park.  In the family of four, they have two small children, one girl and one boy who is autistic.  Every year on Christmas day the family would visit this special tree that a random Samaritan would decorate.   Ever since they discovered the tree they would visit it every Christmas and place a new ornament on it.  The park became part of their life, part of their tradition.  If the world consisted of no parks these special moments would never occur.   Parks bring joy to everyone, whether you have realized it or not, there is probably a park in which you associate a memory with.  If there were no beautiful parks in our universe the world would be a very plain, boring place. 

9)    Bench

I walk along the road, on a path I have travelled many times before, I walk quickly in the

      cold                                                                                                     anticipating

       the                                                                                                             rain

        to                                                                                                              fall

      softly                                                                                                         upon

        my                                                                                                           golden

      locks                                                                                                          here

   I stand overlooking the gloom of what usually is a beautiful garden, memories begin                

      flooding my mind.  I feel happy, content; nothing can go wrong I am safe here

         I lay my jacket down and sit down slowly, lowing myself and observing

            everything around me.  The flowers and nonexistent and the trees

                 are limp, they are waiting for the sun to shine, so they can

     grow                                                                                                           taller

     and           taller                                                                           the           rain

   begins           to                                                                             fall          gently.

     I               can’t                                                                          wait           for

   the                                                                                                             warmth

    of                                                                                                              summer