Sitting On a Bench

How I Chose My Bench

1) Visit a park, choose a bench, explain your choice and describe your bench. 

Walking out of the Lonsdale Quay Market I was drawn towards a black metal bench, the closest one to the water. There were three pairs of benches placed back to back, all-around six meters away from each other, but I took the one on the far right, facing the water. I did not want to sit on the one farthest to the left, as it was isolated in the corner where the fences met, and I certainly did not want to be sandwiched in the middle. Thus I sat on the bench that was farthest to the right, it was perfectly placed: to the left of it was free space, but it did not feel out of place because the other benches were still nearby. From where I was sitting, I could see a metal fence, spotted with love locks, and beyond the fence was the vastness of the water, with the seemingly peaceful Downtown Core on the other side of the harbour. In the gloomy June weather, it looked like the whole world had frozen: the water seemed to barely be moving, the bustling Vancouver core seemed frozen in time, and the sturdiness of the bench was grounding me, and I felt as if I had all the time in the world. 

What I See, Feel, Think, and Want

2) From the bench, describe what you see, what you feel, what you think, and what you want.

Despite its rough and dark appearance, my bench was extremely comfortable; the back of the bench was perfectly moulded to my back, and the intelligently designed curves of the bench sat comfortably behind my knees. The comfort of the bench made me feel as though I could sit the for years, reflecting on my life: thinking about the things I had gained, the things I lost, and the things I longed for. 

I thought back to how it had already been 10 years since I first came to Canada, back then I felt like sitting on this bench alone and viewing the ocean was the biggest joy in the world. Back then I felt like time was moving much more slowly because I had all I ever wanted: my family, the ocean breeze, and a comfortable bench. But as I sat on the bench that day, looking at the ocean, I did not feel the same as I used to. Looking at the motionless city in front of me, I was reminded that I am now 17. My high school journey is about to end and I was sitting there alone thinking about all the things I had not experienced, all the goals I had not reached and all the people I had not met. 

With those thoughts clouding my mind, I saw a couple walking up to the fence, the woman was wearing jeans and a grey hoodie and the man was holding her hand, wearing black joggers and a green jumper. As the couple reached the fence, the girl took out a pink lock and showed it to the boy, she then took out a sharpie and they both wrote their initials on it. They then secured the lock to the fence and threw the key into the water. I smiled, and then I looked around at the hundreds of locks surrounding the fence. I thought of how some of those locks had been there for years. Even with time, those locks had stayed there, serving their purpose and overcoming all the elements against them. The resiliency of those locks made me think about my purpose in life. I could not help but wonder if I would be able to stand the test of time, and stay resilient even when all the elements were against me.

A Bench With My Name on It 

3) If the bench were dedicated to you, where would you like the bench and what would you like the inscription plate to say?

I hope to live a long life, so I can become a surgeon and help people before I die. I want to live through the people I operated on and the people I helped even after I am gone. Thus, if I am able to fulfil this dream, I would like the inscription plate on my bench to read: “you will always be in the hearts of those you helped,” and be placed in the courtyard of a hospital, so it can help the people who need it the most.

A hospital courtyard is a place for people to seek refuge from the chaos inside of the hospital. Many doctors and patients come outside and sit on the benches in the courtyard to escape grief, call their loved ones to deliver good news, or escape the smell of sanitizers in the building. By having my bench in the hospital’s courtyard, it will serve patients who need to rest, worried family members, and tired doctors. My bench will have a purpose and support the people who use it even when I am no longer able to help them myself.  

A Bench For My Great-Grandmother 

4) If you dedicated a bench, where would you like the bench and what would you like the inscription plate to say?

If I could dedicate a bench, I would dedicate a bench to my great-grandmother. My mother lost her mom when she was only one year old after their car got into a head-on collision with an oncoming truck. My grandmother died instantly after the accident and my grandfather remarried and started a new family, so it was my great-grandmother who took care of my mom. 

My great-grandmother was an incredible woman; she lost her husband in her early twenties and raised her three children all on her own. Even after the death of her beloved eldest daughter, she remained strong so she could take care of her granddaughter, my mom, and her two other children. She opened up a hair salon and worked day and night to give her children and granddaughter everything they ever wanted. After the Iranian Revolution, she was arrested for supporting the royal family and served two years in prison, but even after that traumatic experience, she remained strong. My mother says that her grandmother had even prepared everything for her funeral so my mother would not have to go through the stress of planning a funeral. 

My mother is reminded of my great grand-mother every time we go to Ambleside, she always mentions how much she loved the ocean and how badly she wished to see it before she died. I want to grant my great-grandmother her wish and dedicate a bench to her Ambleside with the inscription: “to a woman who persevered through all of life’s challenges with kindness, love, and generosity.”

My Trip to Find The Perfect Bench

5) Write a journal response about your trip to the park.

It was 11:00 am on an unusually cloudy and gloomy day in June. I had just finished tutoring at the library and decided to go for a walk. The smell of flowers and the dampness in the air around me filled the air with a vibrant yet unsettling aroma. As I started walking down Lonsdale, the ocean pulled me in, and before I knew I was standing by the Quay. The weather was freezing, so I went inside to grab a cup of coffee. As I walked into the market, the vibrancy of the stalls swept me away, there were colours everywhere, people were jumping from store to store, and sellers were talking loudly and laughing with their customers; I suddenly felt overwhelmed. It was as if time was moving faster in the market, so I went to the closest coffee shop and bought an oat milk latte, the lady at the coffee shop asked me if I wanted anything else, and I did but I could not decide what I wanted fast enough so I said, “no, that’s all, thank you.” Although it wasn’t a big deal, I felt defeated that I could not decide in time, I felt like time had run away from me and I was not able to make anything good come out of it. These thoughts suddenly filled my head so I put on my headphones to drown out the noise. I walked out of the market, and could finally breathe again, I then walked up to the fountain, but there was no one outside. Usually, this place would be filled with people, but I guessed that it was too gloomy and cold, so everyone had gone inside. I continued walking closer to the water as I watched the slow waves go back and forth I became calmer and decided to take out my headphones. I sat down on the farthest bench to the right, facing the water. On the other side of the port, I could see Downtown Vancouver. It stood still like a grey, concrete jungle, from where I was sitting it almost seemed as if I was looking at a picture, with no movements, no life, and no sign of time passing. For some reason, I found comfort in the stillness of the city. I sat there for a while, looking at the ocean and thinking about my future as I sipped on my now cold cup of coffee. 

Time

6) Choose a poem that suits your bench, where would you like the bench, and explain your choice. Include a copy of the poem.

I choose the poem “Time” by Nadia because it resonated with my greatest fear and made me think about what I want to leave behind on this planet. As I am graduating and opening a new chapter of my life, I feel like the past few years flew by me, and this terrifies me. I fear that time will come to an end before I can accomplish all the things I want. This poem also inspired me to think about how I want to leave my “footprint in the sand”, and made me dig deep into my value and desires to realize what it is that I want from life. 

The connection between "Time" and My Philosophy

7) Explain how your poem connects to your philosophy of life.

I have always feared living a meaningless life, and only leaving behind the “broken dreams I didn’t achieve.” Like the speaker of this poem, I feel like time is flying past me and “I fear the running out of time” before I am able to achieve my dreams and leave my mark on this planet. Similar to the message of this poem, I think that it is important to leave something behind after one dies. What I want to achieve in life is to have a role in giving others the chance to fulfill their purpose. After I die, I want to be remembered as a person who put others before herself and helped people live better lives. This is why I am determined to become a surgeon and an organ donor in the future. I want to leave my footprints in this world by helping people live healthier, longer and more comfortable lives. I want people to remember me as the person who helped them fulfill their dreams; even if I am dead I want to be the reason why someone else could live. The same reasons are what make me want to be an organ donor. Once I die, I do not want my body to be burned to ashes or forgotten under six feet of soil, I want my heart to beat in someone else’s chest, I want my lungs to help someone else run, and I want my life to give some else hope. That is how I will make sure “that people know I did all that I planned.”

The Importance of Parks

8) What is the purpose of a park? What are your thoughts about parks?

In some ways, a park is a religious place, as It helps people connect with a higher existence: nature, God, or even themselves. Without distractions from advertisements, noises, technology, or work, people can use the park as a place to reconnect with what truly matters to them. A park is a place where people can come together to celebrate, to morn, to love, and play. Unlike other places in a city, the park does not discriminate, it accepts all types of people from those who live in mansions to those who have nowhere to live. I think parks are the most important part of a city and modern civilization’s living environment. As our cities get tenser and our habitats become more urbanized, it is extremely important to have a place, like a park, where people can connect with nature and their inner values. Parks are also crucial for the survival of other animals and their coexistence with humans. By having more parks, common city animals such as birds, raccoons, skunks, and coyotes can seek refuge and live with less human interference. I believe that parks should be the number one priority for all urban developments as they are involved in every part of our lives. 

A Frozen City 

9) Write a poem reflecting upon your bench experience or your impending high school graduation 

A Frozen City

In the rush of time, the city desists:

No motion

No noises 

No haste 

For once, time stays still

Standing in the frozen city, I get a moment to think:

How do I want to live?

Who do I want to be?

When time starts running again, 

I’ll have to hold my breath, but

For now, I’ll take this moment to breathe