Sitting on a Story Blog

1)   My Bench

At first, I had difficulty choosing a bench because I couldn’t think of a bench, or a place with a bench, that had a lot of meaning to me. I was trying to think of a place that I often go, or a bench that I often see but I was left with no ideas. I was walking out of school one day when I noticed a bench in front of the school. It was a bench that I was very much aware of and had even sat on before, but one that I had never really given much thought to. I realized then that although I didn’t have much of a history with this specific bench, its location was at a place that did. Sutherland has been a large part of my life for the past five years. It’s the place I’ve spent the most time at in the last five years besides my house. It’s a place where I’ve grown and changed and made friends and memories I will never forget. And this bench has been present for it all. Sitting right outside the school, unaware of all these things happening through the front doors of the building. This bench rests outside the gym, right next to an identical to one just to the left of it. In front of it, lays a concrete path where every day, students pass. It’s mad out of long planks of wood that curve up to make a seat. It has a grey metal base that holds the bench together and creates armrests. The wood planks on the seat of the bench have weathering and are faded in colour in the centre from the use of it. Behind the bench lays a strip of garden with small bushes planted in a row.

   2)   The View

When I’m sitting on the bench I can see the front grounds of Sutherland Secondary School. It’s a different view at every time of the day. Its view reminds me of an ocean. Sometimes it can be still and calm and completely silent. Other times it can be chaos, with students running around laughing and talking, parents speeding away in cars. This bench in present for it all. When I sit on the bench and look out, I see the vast building of Sutherland to my left, straight ahead I see the front of the school, lots of grass, pathways, cars fill the parking lot nearby. In the distance, trees line the street ahead and another parking lot expands into a concrete horizon. Straight ahead, a tall totem pole stands a couple yards away and nearby a flagpole rests with the Canadian flag flapping proudly in the wind. When I look out from my place on the bench, I feel a variety of emotions, I feel relieved when the school day is over, I feel stressed if I have impending tests or projects, and I feel happy if the sunshine is beaming down on my face. Much of my emotions with this bench are based on school since it’s in such close proximity. My emotions on the bench are also based on the weather because I find that sitting on a bench in sunshine is enjoyable but sitting on a bench in the rain can feel gloomy and dreary. When I sit on the bench, I don’t think about anything in particular other than what’s on my mind. It usually has to do with school or something happening in my life that’s causing me excitement or sadness or stress or any strong kind of emotion. It gives me time to think without distractions. From the bench, my mind usually makes me want to be with my friends. This place is a location that I’m constantly surrounded by my friends so when I sit on this bench alone, It reminds me that I want to be around them.   

   3)   A Bench Dedicated to Me

If I bench were dedicated to me, I would like my bench to be in Disneyland in California. I chose this location because of the feeling I get when I’m in Disneyland and the joy I see in others when I’m there. There’s something truly magical about the parks that radiates through everyone there. My bench would constantly be surrounded by people from all over the world and of every age from old to young. At this location, my bench would always be able to be used all day long by the busy crowds of people roaming the park. If my bench were there, I could trust that it would be well taken care of and maintained by park employees. If I could choose an inscription for my bench, I would say “Don’t let your dreams be dreams.” It’s a short and simple quote that fits the theme of the park and inspires the passersby who will read it. California is one of my favourite places in the world and if I were to leave a bench in my name that would be there for years to come, I would be happy to know that my bench would be left in the sunshine surrounded by happy faces and swaying palm trees. If a bench were dedicated to me, I would like the bench to be dedicated before I passed away so that I could see and visit my bench and be able to experience what I’ll be leaving behind.  

   4)   A Bench Dedicated to Her

If I dedicated a bench to somebody, I would want to put it in a location that means a lot to that person or a place that they often went. If we had a place that the two of us shared memories at or often went to together, then I would want the bench to go there. I would want the inscription to be something that relates to the person I am dedicating the bench to. If they have a favourite quote or saying, or again if there’s a certain quote we share, then I would want that to be written on the bench. I wouldn’t want the quote to be too personal or specific to us, so that other people could read it and enjoy it as well. If I were to dedicate a bench to someone, it would probably be to my sister. She loves exploring the outdoors and being surrounded by nature, so a bench would be something she could appreciate. If I were to dedicate it to her, I wouldn’t want it to be a surprise because I would want her input on the location and inscription of the bench. I would want it to be something I was sure she would enjoy and besides, I’ve never been that good at surprises anyway. The kind of location that would be good for a bench dedicated to her would be in a remote area near mountains with a view of the ocean. She would want it to be like a hidden gem and would love if it were at the top of a hike so it would be a hidden gem for people to discover. She would want the inscription to be something mysterious so that when people read it, it would give them something to think about and could be interoperated differently by different people.

   5)   My Visit

Visiting my bench is not a difficult task since I pass by it 5 days a week. When I go on visits to my bench, it’s always after school so I’m already at its location. When I went to visit this bench to write notes on it for my project, it was a rainy day so the bench was darker in colour than usual because the wood was wet. When I went outside to take a look at it, the sun had come out and was shining brightly. The grass looked extra green from the view from bench and the raindrops left a dewy glow across the ground. It was lunchtime, so there were other students outside the school, but not as many as usual since it has been raining. Most students either walked across the crosswalk leading away from the school or they stayed under covered areas to eat their lunches with friends. Some of my friends passed me on their way to the parking lot and stopped to talk to me before they left for the day. A few clouds hung in the sky making the day bright but slightly grey.

   6)   A Poem to My Bench

All the World’s a Stage by William Shakespeare

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

I chose this poem because I felt that it related to my feelings of the bench. To me, this bench connects to my high school experience; a stage in my life. This poem is all about the different stages in life and how school is just one of them. It may feel like a lot of things are changing right now and although they are, these are changes that everyone must go through as they transition into the next stage of their life. Some people may have very different lives than the one in this poem, including myself, but everyone grows older and faces moments in life when they need to graduate from one thing and move on to another. The thought can feel intimidating but it’s good to remember that there is so much more to come in life.  

   7)   Personal Philosophy

This poem connects to my personal philosophy of life because it gives a positive attitude towards the future. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason and that everything that’s meant to be will be. By the way this poem speaks about his life and the way that everything transitions into each other reminds me that his life works out that way because that’s how it’s meant to happen. People all change throughout their lives and “One man in his time plays many parts,” to fit whatever part of the “play” or life he is at. Things might not always be good in your life and some stages may be better than others but they all have positives and negatives and in the end, you’ll be exactly where you need to be. Sometimes people are so focused on one thing that they don’t notice other parts of “the play” or life. We have to trust that everything will find a way to lead and prepare us into our next stage and that everything will work itself out in the end. Anything that doesn’t seem like it should’ve happened in our lives probably happened so that something else could but we’re too distracted to notice. Whatever is meant to be, will find a way to work it’s way into our lives.

   8)   Parks

The purpose of a park is to create a space of nature for people to visit and use for fun. It’s a place that people of all ages can go and do whatever it is they want to do outside. They can eat, or play, or dance or think or just go and be. Parks create a safe environment so that people can enjoy the space and get fresh air. Parks also create protected nature space that is filled with life of plants and animals that might not otherwise be there if the land was developed. There are all kinds of parks around the world including small parks, massive parks, busy parks, remote parks, grass parks, amusement parks, water parks, and so many more. There’s a kind of park for every different person on every different occasion. I think that parks are an excellent source of nature and that it’s a very positive thing to have them. I love that parks can be found all over the world even in the middle of urban jungles such as New York. National parks work to protect land and can be very educational for visitors to learn about different types of plants and animals. They also create habitats for animals to ensure that their homes aren’t being wiped out and developed. I have been to countless parks in my life to do anything from building a snowman, to lying out on a towel and tanning while I read my book. Parks are an excellent place for people to get together with friends and family and enjoy the world.      

   9)   Reflection Poem

High School Bench

Silence echoes in the dark of night

All the way through to dawn’s first light

When the morning comes and day breaks

The silence in punctured as the world awakes

The children arrive and pass me by

Blissfully unaware of my eye

I’ve seen them all but they’d never know

I’ve watched them change and seen them grow

From the first of September when they arrive  

To the last day of June repeated to five 

I go unnoticed while they stare at their screens

Or laugh with their friends like typical teens

I’m there for them whenever they need me

They rest upon me and take a seat on my knee

There comes a time when they’ll all leave me

They’ll walk past one last time then be completely free

They all move away from their childhood

Leaving me where I’ve always stood

I’ll always be in my little haven

Bolted to the ground I’ll forever stay in