Sitting on a Story

  Perched Upon a Secluded Scenery

Question one:

    On Winter Holidays, a family tradition is a trip to Vernon, where we visit family and celebrate Christmas together. Another tradition is a family walk along the Vernon mountainside; it was on this years' family walk that I chose my bench. Located halfway through the journey, overlooking Okanogan Lake, I chose my bench. I chose this bench because I had passed it many times before, even stopping to sit on it and enjoy the view of the lake far below, it was a familiar bench to me, and I felt comfortable sitting on it, surrounded by the beauty of the wilderness. The bench takes up a rigid form, shaped rather squarely. Perched upon gravel, the bench has a cold, silver-coloured metal frame, with visible welds at each joint. The back and seat of the bench are made of a recycled plastic kind of material, molded to look like planks of chocolatey wood. On the corner of the bench, lies a small plaque stating the sponsor of the bench; Wishbone Site Furnishings, who promise that they used all-Canadian sustainable methods and materials to construct the bench. The ethicality of the bench also contributed to my choice, as I am drawn to sustainable materials, and the integration of sustainable materials into common items.

Dampened Cacophonies

Question two:

    Upon the bench, I find my jeans damp from the melted snow left on the seat, and cold air nipping through my fleece, sending shivers through my body. I am surrounded by beautiful trees, and fallen leaves, the wind carries the sound of birds chirping in the distance. In front of me, a weak wooden fence stands, guarding the steep tumble into the lake below. Across the lake, blue mountains roll in and out of view, topped with a dusting of snow from last night. The cold metal of the bench arms bite at my fingers, as I relax against the view. Immersed in the wilderness, I forget about the bustle of humanity, and the sound of peace is inviting. Feeling calm, yet damp, I want to close my eyes and take in the scent of the pines. While on the bench I see the untouched scenery, feeling completely complacent and in tune with nature. each of my worried thoughts are replaced with a sense of calm, following the chatter of birds above me, and I want to stay here longer, experiencing this moment every day. My bench is my connection to the wilderness in that moment, and I am able to imagine the life of the bench, stationed upon this lookout throughout each season.

Lyrical Landscape

Question Three:

If I were to have a bench in my name, dedicated to my existence and life, I would want it to be overlooking the ocean. As I have always been a water person, and I live for the water, I would like to be remembered that way. I would either want my bench to be along the coast of one of my bucket-list countries like Greece or southern Italy, or overlooking a local beach that I spent my entire childhood in, like Pender Harbour. Being near the ocean, I would be able to live through the bench, soaking in the sea breeze, and those who wish to visit my bench would be able to relax against the sound of the waves crashing, remembering me in my natural habitat. I would want my bench to be an embodiment of my life, and the ocean is exactly that. Upon my bench, I would ideally have no inscriptions, or plaques, as I would want my bench to be a neutral ground, and a spot that anyone could relax and relate to. However, if I were to attach an inscription plate onto my bench, I would want to share a lyric from one of my favourite songs, or a QR code to a playlist of all my favourite music. Along with the ocean, music is another piece of my being, and a crucial part of my persona, so the inclusion of my love for music on my bench would be the perfect addition to immortalize my life. From a young age, music has been a large part of my identity; listening to bands with my dad like the Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, and Outkast. Though my vocabulary of artists is more extensive than most, the Black Eyed Peas holds a special place in my heart, so I feel that a lyric of theirs would be most suitable upon the inscription plate of my bench. So, on my bench, overlooking the ocean, the words "Livin' life feelin' free that's how life's supposed to be" will be inscribed, next to a QR code of all my favourite songs. I chose this quote as it not only comes from one of my favourite artists, but it speaks to my own outlook on life, as well as sending a reassuring message to anyone visiting my bench.

The Old Gray Mare

Question Four:

One of the largest influences in my life has been my grandma. She is a strong, small woman from Minnesota with the personality of a firecracker. Though her name is Bernice, she goes by the nickname "Bunny," a stark contradiction to her large personality. Throughout my entire childhood, she has cracked dirty jokes, and sang the children's song "the old gray mare," to me and my brother with adjusted lyrics making a harmless nursery rhyme somewhat vulgar. Even now, in her older age, her dirty humor is what I look forward to every time I visit. Though she cannot remember much anymore, she knows how to make everyone laugh in conversations, and she is truly the funniest person I know. Her warmth of humor is not just present in her demeanor but in her cooking as well. My dad's siblings, my mother, and even my eldest cousins, all share copies of her recipes to this day that she wrote as far back as the '50's. I know many people whom I could dedicate a bench to; my late cousin whom I'm named after, my parents, or even my cats. However, I would not be who I am today without the influence of Bunny White. Every day, I find her humor and strength within my own personality. So, if I had the power to devote a bench to someone, it would be for my grandma, Bernice White. I would ask for the bench to be situated in either her hometown in Minnesota, or Richmond, where she raised her three children. I would prefer to have the bench in Richmond, as it is closer for me to visit, but in either circumstance, I would like her bench to be under the foliage of a willow tree. The willow tree would be a reminder of her home in Richmond, where my dad and his siblings were raised, as two willow trees stood on the lawn of that home. Upon that bench, underneath the willow tree, there will be a plaque with a simple engraving: a drawing of a bunny looking up at a mare. 

Into The Woods

Question Five:

Journal Entry Into The Woods:

With my mother and my aunt, I sat in the car, as we followed the winding road up the mountain. I had mentioned wanting to find a bench somewhere beautiful, among nature, ideally near a body of water, and my aunt suggested this spot. As my aunt parked the car, the snow and gravel crunched beneath the tires. I got out of the car alone, and followed the steep dirt path back down the hill. The cold air nipped at my nose, and I shoved my hands deep into my pockets. The loose dirt of the path was disturbed by each of my steps, and I took the time to look around myself. The trees were not as dense as home, and I could see my bench just a little below me. The wind quietly whistled in my ears, and along with the scattered chirps from a bird, I was listening to nature's music. The trees were tall and skinny, and the branches started way above my head, making the forest feel open. It was a short and steep walk down to the bench, where I saw that the forest cleared revealing the cloudy grey lake below. It had just rained, and the bench was covered in drops of water, so I did not sit down. Instead, I squatted over the brown plastic of the wet seat, and imagined what it would be like to sit on the bench for a long period of time. The view from the bench was beautiful, yet tainted by the weather. The sky was a mass of grey, and the blue mountain opposite the water was speckled with patches of snow. The dew-covered metal arms of the bench were freezing against my fingertips. Above me, through the foliage, the stark white sky started to spit rain, and I decided it was time to leave. 

The Poetic History of Tranquil Escapism

Question 6:

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by William Words worth:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

I believe that the poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," by William Wordsworth is a beautiful representation of being able to see a "community" in nature. I found my bench alone, yet within the scenery, immersed in the natural world, I couldn't even begin to feel lonely. Maybe this poem does not describe any qualities of my particular bench, but the words from William Wordsworth depict the exact emotions and ambiance that I felt when I found the bench. The poem follows the speaker as they travel alone through the natural world, initially feeling "lonely as a cloud." However, as the poem develops, the speaker acknowledges the presence of the wilderness as a form of company. Wordsworth's personification of nature, and the wilderness resonated with my experience with my bench, as I felt a similar accompaniment from the nature around me. From the bench, I felt an immediate sense of ease, with the nature around me, and experienced the "bliss of solitude," that Wordsworth mentions in his poem. Upon that bench, upon a mountain in Vernon, far from the bustling city of Vancouver, anyone can reach a sense of company among the tall trees and low clouds. sitting on the bench alone will take you from feeling "lonely as a cloud," to experiencing "the bliss of solitude."

An Embrace of Solitude

Question Seven:

My personal philosophy of life is quite fluid. It's hard for me to describe my ideology in one sentence or quip, so relating it to the poem, "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," by William Wordsworth is a more efficient way to communicate it. In the poem, Wordsworth demonstrates the effective company of nature, resulting in the "bliss of solitude." I guess if I were to apply a quippy line to my personal philosophy of life, I would probably use "bliss of solitude." I used to be very preoccupied with others' expectations of me, but over the years my mindset has grown, and I realized that I'm the only one living my life. I had been spending too much energy worrying about who I didn't like or who didn't like me, and I decided to have a mindset of indifference. I have learnt to embrace the solitude of life, recognizing that no matter what outside opinions and influences that are put upon me, it is my own actions and opinions that will follow me for the rest of my life. My personal ideology of life is reflected in Wordsworth's poem through the acceptance and peace within solitude. I suppose that my philosophy in life is to mind your own business and pursue your life the way that you see fit, following whatever passions and beliefs that present themselves, after all the world is your oyster. 

Distraction

Question Eight:

Before, I explain my opinion of "the purpose of a park," I would like to clarify my definition of "park." In my eyes, when someone mentions a park, my mind jumps to two pictures: a forested pathway, filled with dogs, and strollers, or I see a clear field, where sports can be played, and a playground for children nearby. In either case, I see a park as a natural enclosure for the community to gather, and spend their time. I see parks as a distraction from the busy city-life, take Central Park for example. New York is famous for their modern, cement-jungle, yet dead centre the city has preserved a large geometrical strip of forested grounds. I believe that parks were designed and marketed as "distractions." I choose to differentiate between designed and marketed, as though they are both categorized as distractions I believe that in each case distraction holds a different meaning. In the design sense, I think that land developers wanted to create a space for the community that preserves a section of land in the area/city for the natural environment, as a distraction to the overdevelopment and industrialization. As seen in New York, I believe that the city there, is completely over-developed, and industrialized, yet people turn a blind eye to that, referencing that Central Park is a large area of natural land. Yet, their "natural land" is a perfectly shaped rectangle, in the dead center of the city. I do not believe that Central Park should counteract the industrialization of New York, it merely distracts people from the natural devastation around them. As I mentioned before, parks were marketed as a distraction. However, they were marketed as a physical distraction, and as a space to escape day-to-day life, and interact within the community. They are areas where, you can walk your dogs, walk your strollers, take your children, and meet your community, whilst in open-air, away from the city. Though I may question the purpose of parks, I actually quite enjoy them. I like being able to relax under a tree, or play manhunt in the park, without having to travel outside of the city. Parks are the future of urbanized city's, as the slight preservation of land for recreation and a green environment, sells the idea of an over-developed landscape to the public. 

On the Edge of My Seat

Question Nine:

On the bench's edge, we take a seat

Cross the stage, oh, how sweet

Come June, we remember

The new life of September

We're on the edge of something new

Try to fly, but fall will few

From saplings to trees

We're in the breeze

Do not worry

Or even hurry

Jump to the fates

The world awaits

-Hannah White