Sitting on a Story Bench Assignment

 Sitting on a Story 

1)     I have chosen a bench that is a short run from my house, it’s base encircled in concrete covered with moss and is at the foot of a new, under-construction elementary school. I used to come to this park when I was little, and play on the zipline and monkey bars, as this the old site of an abandoned primary school. In the winter I would sled down the steep hill near the back of the park, while in the summer I would play tennis and soccer on the fields. I even created a Geo-Cache once, that I hid in this park between two concrete blocks, during the era these outdoor scavenger hunts took North Vancouver by storm. Although the Cloverly elementary was closed and boarded long before I began going to the park, it stuck out on the property and gave off an eerie feeling of what once was, covered with graffiti and littered with weeds and mold. That was only on the left side of the property however, so I would always just stay to the right. I had not been back there in years though, and yesterday I was on a run when I decided to go check it out, to see if things had changed. To my surprise, the entire old building is gone, and the new framework and foundation of the new school is up. The expansive block and property are fenced off, with the bench I chose sitting in the southeast corner, under the blue metal gates that corral the construction zone. The bench is beaten and breaking down, like the old school that was once abandoned, but sits here all alone in a circle on concrete with weeds growing through the cracks in tiles, facing the road. This is an urban bench, which is eminent from the cracked, concrete blocks holding the legs down, and the metal skeleton structure that fastens the rotting wood planks together.  

 

2)     Below the road there is a greenway with tall, dense trees that block out the sun. Around the outside of the concrete circle, pink and purple wildflowers sprout through weeds and bushes atop a mossy cement wall, some almost growing so long that their petals reach the ground. I feel as though this bench will not be around for much longer, as I find it hard to imagine they would want to keep an old, grimy bench at the front of a shiny new school, as it wouldn’t fit the modern aesthetic. It has no view, only of the small concrete plaza and the road underneath, which is followed by dense, overgrown trees. There is no view of the city, no view of the ocean or the mountains, only cement and an uninviting wood. I guess that this bench has never really meant much to anybody, as it has no plaque or name. The only reasons one would value this bench, I could guess, would be for a spot to rest before walking up the steep hill that is adjacent to it, or to use to stretch their legs like I did after a job around the community. I feel almost sad for the bench, as it looks neglected and worn from harsh winters, but feel as though it is time for it to go, presenting itself now in an uninviting way. I couldn’t imagine anyone eager to sit here, as it does not face the park, but a road, unless they wish to watch the cars roll by. When I was younger, I do not distinctively remember this bench and never recall using it, but know it has to have been here since the days of the old school just based off appearance. There is an empty box of cigarettes and a paper coffee cup at it’s base, which makes me realize that maybe people do use this bench more than I has presumed, but possibly only out of necessity.

 

3)     If a bench were dedicated to me, I would specifically like the bench to be on North Chesterman beach in Tofino. I spent my summers as a child playing, surfing and swimming at that beach and it holds an indescribable sentiment and happiness for me. My dad and his best friend have a love for that beach stronger than mine, which lead to his best friend’s parents to buy a house beach-front, allowing our families to travel there every summer together. It is here that I developed my love for the ocean, spending hours on end sitting out in lineup, surfing and catching waves. I would want my dedicated message on the bench to reflect this valued environment and express the type of person I am towards others. This plaque would also connect to my dad’s bench which is right beside mine.

 

4)      If I were to dedicate a bench to my dad, I would also put it on Chesterman beach next to mine, and they would say together “waiting…. for the next swell” or “watching…. the sets roll in”, something about viewing the ocean together. My dad’s bench on the left would say the first word, then mine on the right would follow with the rest, completing the message. We always go for “surf checks” to observe conditions together but typically end up just sitting watching the swell come in, with me now sharing the love for the ocean that my dad has introduced me to. Our benches would be a place people can sit together and take in the beauty and serenity of this Tofino beach, taking a moment to enjoy this natural constant in life that calms the soul. People can sit and watch the sun set over the breaking waves, smell the bonfire on the beach and feel the warm sand under their feet.

 

 

5)     I found the Cloverly park bench while on a run. I decided I was going to jog around the community (instead of my normal route up Grand Boulevard) and I happened to end up at the bottom of the hill on the corner of Kennard and Shavington, staring up at the mass construction in process. I sometimes zone out while running and continue exploring routes I have never run before, turning corners to discover what lies ahead, which resulted in me ending up at my favourite childhood playground and park. I was looking up admiring the space which is now closed off and transforming into a new community staple, and almost didn’t notice the dilapidated bench sitting in front of me on the outskirts of the concrete clearing. I thought back to when I used to come play here and realized that I haven’t been down to this park in years. I began to think back, and vivid memories resurfaced of my childhood. Knowing graduation is only a week away, these times feel so far in the past, it is almost as if they were lived in another lifetime. I stood at the bench for a minute, stretching from my steep run downhill, and decided that although there was no plate or inscription, this bench was going to be the one I chose. I stayed a few more minutes, watching people walk by with their dogs, arrive home from work to the neighbouring houses, and stand out on porches chatting. I then headed back up the steep hill to the right, hoping to come back one day and find the bench still sitting there, spared by the new developers.  

 

6)     The poem I have chosen that suits my bench is Once the Future by Adam Sedia:

Once the Future

You were the future once, not long ago.
Your sterile walls of concrete, brick, and glass
Outlined in steel, and jutting angles show
Scorn for the forms you thought you could surpass.

That future now has come—with water-stains,
Sun-bleaching, rust, and there a pressure-crack;
The vision once designed to awe now pains.
The form that once looked forward hearkens back.

Your neighbors never posed as avant garde,
Their tamer forms content with their own time.
They turn no heads, while those you turn regard
But incongruity well past its prime—

The relic of a future from the past,
That never came, and that you now outlast.

     

This poem connects to my bench as it outlines an older piece of architecture, now shadowed by what is newly being built, very similarly to the bench and elementary school. The bench has lasted through the varying stages of this park, “now (outlasting)” the previous development. When the poem opens with, “(you) were the future once, not long ago” it connects to the bench as it was new back when I was younger but has now begun to decompose and subside into the foundation that the new school is being built upon.

7)     This poem connects to my personal life philosophy of Carpe Diem, as the poem alludes to getting ahead of oneself in life, which is dangerous and against the principle of this philosophy. It warns that when the future is planned out too strictly “(the) form that once looked forward hearkens back”, and this type of thinking can take away from the present and enjoying life. Once the Future is contrary to the belief of Carpe Diem as the building in the poem is ambitious of impressing in the future, instead of being aware of the present and taking in what surrounds them, which is the key principle of my philosophy. There is only so much you can control to enjoy life to the fullest, similar to the bench that cannot control what surrounds it but adapts to its ever changing environment.

8)     A park is a place where people can relax, connect, and play. It serves as a spot for someone to learn more about themselves or learn more about someone else, by providing an open, natural space. Weather its playing on the playground, or having a picknick with friends on the grass, parks offer a place to wind down and live in the moment, escaping the bustling city we live in. I think it is so important to have parks in an urban city setting, like North Vancouver, as spaces for people to easily and accessibly escape their everyday life can help foster self awareness and improve well-being. These locations usually include some sort of natural element, which can be tricky to access in the denser locations in the city. I will forever be grateful for how Vancouver so effortlessly incorporates city landscape and natural elements, as we are so fortunate to have countless, gorgeous park spaces that one can enjoy. Back in eighth grade, I was a member of a community task force that provided design insight on the redevelopment of the Kings Mill Walk Park. I was able to express my ideas and thoughts first-hand that concerned the space’s redesign and suggested elements I thought should be written into the final proposal. My job was to provide the views and opinions of an early high school aged citizen and had to share ideas and provide feedback that would reflect the thoughts of my peers. Through this process I learned just how many people use a community park and how much time and consideration goes into the design of a place like this. Council aims to provide a space where everyone can be active, relaxed, and comfortable, which is eminent through the majority of North Vancouver’s community parks.  

 

9)     Uh-Oh Bench

Once silence claimed this corner spot,

Cracked pavement, weeds, and rusted rot,

the lot was empty with few visitors,

only being used for the playground and by critters,

 

Now cranes swing above at great heights,

The park filled up with steel and lights,

What once was abandoned is all torn apart,

This new beginning, a fresh start

 

All on its own, it stands tilted and grey,

With a frame that seems to never decay

It now rests, battered, on the foundation of pavement

Hoping that there will never be found a replacement

 

But here it stands, watching overrun woods,

A witness to time, misunderstood

Although no plaque upon carries a name,

Serving as a place for stretching and reflection is it’s aim

 

Although it’s existence may seem everlasting,

Plans for it’s home can be contrasting,

A spot to rest before a big hill

Changes slowly creeping, quietly real