Park Bench Lessons

Do you know the park bench at Turtle Pond, just beyond the grass’s sightline? The one beneath the grand trees, where wind chimes hang and the leaves filter sunlight into a golden glow?

I first met this bench at the beginning of my freshman year, and for nine months I sat there almost every single day. I was usually a fast-paced gal, seldom staying in one place because there was always something else I felt compelled to do. As soon as one task was complete, I was already moving on to the next, and there never seemed to be enough time to take a break. I thought this was what it meant to move through life — but in reflecting on the bench, I realized that what I really was, was stuck.

Here I learned the importance of pausing and reflecting. We move through life so quickly chasing productivity and purpose. I always assumed purpose was something you stumbled upon, but on that bench I began to wonder if it was something we create with intention instead. The more I chased productivity, the more I saw how much of it was an illusion. I felt busy, but I wasn’t really contributing to anything meaningful. All of this circles back to time — our attempt to quantify it, to pin it down, as if we could contain our days on Earth.

In reality, we don’t have the ability to control time. Some people recognize this and simply pass through. In doing so, we fail to participate in our lives, forgetting how fleeting we truly are when put into perspective. I could fly to Hawai’i and gain three hours of day, but this does not mean I will get three hours of my life back. 

I can’t control time slipping past me, but I can control how it passes through me. We have the ability to create a fulfilling life, but this requires us to pause and reflect on what is meaningful to us. When I don’t slow down, I fall into routine — moving on autopilot, without thought. If our actions lack thought, can they really be meaningful?

People often say there isn’t enough time, myself included. The truth is, we waste much of it on things that aren’t fulfilling. If we stopped doing things to fill time, we would have a lot more of it to discover ourselves and the world around us.

Every bench you pass is an opportunity. Take a seat. Put away your devices and headphones. Sit and observe. Feel, listen, and breathe. Let your mind wander. Reflect. 

How is time passing through you?

Written by: Abbie Darling

Graphics by: Lucille Mathieu