1. Choosing a Bench
Today I visited my bench at Waterfront Park. I originally found a bench along Grand Boulevard, but when the first four notes of “O Canada” was heard coming from Canada Place; I wanted to move closer to the water. When I made it to Waterfront Park, I saw a line of benches right along the front of water. I walked towards them and tried to choose one, but they all seemed too similar and none of them stood out to me. After that I saw a bench by itself closer to the middle of the park. I chose this bench because not only did it give me a wonderful view of Downtown Vancouver, but it allowed me to look over the entire park as well.
My bench wasn’t dedicated to anyone, and it looked like it was fairly weathered. There was some writing on the bench, and additions from two people that thought the best way of expressing their love for each other was carving their initials into the wood. Other than the carving, there was some swear words and smaller drawings around the bench, some that made it unique and some that took away from the beauty of this location. I was happy with the spot I chose for my bench because it provided me with a view of the park, and the view of the city that I love so much. Some of the other benches in the park were facing the other direction, towards the back of the park. The other ones were right by the water, and you couldn’t see any other areas of the park. That is why I chose the bench I did, because I get the best of both views.
2. View from my Bench
There were many things and feelings that I experienced when I was visiting my bench. The most obvious things that I saw included the view of Vancouver, the ocean that was right in front of me, and the playground to the left of my bench. The view of the city is always breathtaking, and when I see it I’m always amazed at how lucky I am to live in this city. I saw a man drawing the exact same view that I was looking at, because I suppose he feels the same way I do about the city. The ocean was as busy as the roads that I took to get to the park. From left to right, I could see a couple huge freighter anchored in the bay, and a couple tugboats helping move once that weren’t anchored. Farther along, I could see both the sea busses heading to their respective destinations, and one lonely speed boat out on the water taking advantage of a rare sunny day that we’ve had in the last while. Looking to the right, I could see the sulfur piles that are sitting in our water, and the Lions Gate Bridge off to the far right. Although it was sunny, it still wasn’t the warmest day. There were a couple of families with their children playing on the playground off to the corner of the Park. Seeing this made me feel happy and reminded me of my childhood. It made me remember going with my parents when they went on walks or whenever they went out. It made me think about all the stuff that has changed as I’ve grown up and some of the things that I’ve lost, and it made me realize that I keep growing up and getting older and I have to accept more responsibility everyday. It made me think about graduating, and how my time in high school seemed to go so fast, but at the same time, when I think back to grade 8 and 9, it seems like ages ago. Thinking about leaving school makes me feel nervous, but it’s more of a bittersweet feeling because I really don’t dislike high school. As I continued to sit on my bench, two kids sat down at a bench a few down from me. They were both boys, but they were probably 3 or 4 years younger than me. They had a bunch of food and to be honest, it made me want to eat. But at the same time, it made me wish I could go back a few years and do more stuff with my friends that we never did. Even though they were only having a bit of a picnic, it made me think of all the things that I miss doing with my friends, and wondering about the stuff we never did. We always did the same stuff and I always wanted to know what it would have been like if we were more adventurous when we had more free time on our hands. The time I spent at my bench made me think about many things, and I had some good time to reflect about
my past, and think about my future. I enjoyed the time I spent there, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and spend more time there.
3. A Bench dedicated to me
If a bench were dedicated to me, I would want it to be somewhere that truly meant something to me. I would want it somewhere peaceful and somewhere that would remind my family of me when they visited. If I could choose a specific location, where I am right now at Waterfront Park would be nice, but I don’t know if it would be the final destination that I choose. I don’t necessarily like the idea of knowing where my bench is when I pass away. If I was having a bench dedicated to me, I would be happy with whatever location my family chooses for it. The fact that they are getting me a bench in the first place is enough, and the location of it is merely a small detail. Choosing what I would want my inscription plate to say would be very hard. It is something that has to sum up a person’s life in a few short words. I think that it would want it to be simple, but something that my family would truly remember me for every time they read it. I would want it to say,
“In Memory of Braden Western – A man who always put his family before himself.”
4. Dedicating a Bench
If I were to dedicate a bench to someone, I would want to dedicate it to my mother or father. If I were to focus on dedicating a bench to my father, I would want it be somewhere close to home. He was born in North Vancouver and grew up here, and has lived here his entire life. His house was right beside Mahon Park, and he attended Queen Mary Elementary school, so I would want his bench to be somewhere around there. He wouldn’t want a really fancy bench with some extravagant view, because he is more of a simple type and to him, it wouldn’t be the location of the bench that was important. I would make the inscription say,
“In Memory of Richard Western – Thank you for all of your love and support you gave me throughout your life.”
5. Journal Response
On a sunny Sunday afternoon I decided to go out and look for my bench. I originally started at Grand Boulevard Park because it is close to home and I spent a lot of time there as a child. I actually found a bench there that I was going to use, but I didn’t feel like I had much to write about while I was sitting there. I then heard the sound of a fog horn, as well as the first four notes of “O Canada” that come from Canada Place every day at noon. This made me want to get closer to the water, so I drove down to Waterfront Park and found myself a new bench. It took me a while to choose the bench that I finally decided on because there were so many good spots and different vantage points of the park depending on which bench you sat on. I found that the one I chose was the best one out of all the other ones I sat on, because when I sat down on my bench I instantly had things that I saw and wanted to write about. Once I was comfortable and absorbed my surroundings more, I started reading over the questions and taking notes. I was lucky that I chose this day to go, because as I was sitting there, my black sweater was absorbing the heat from the sun. For the first time in months, I was actually warm while I was sitting outside. I finished taking my notes, but I didn’t leave my bench right away. I sat there for a few minutes longer, just taking in the beauty that I was being a part of. Looking around, I saw a few other people doing the same. Just sitting, with no schedule or place to be, just enjoying what our great city has to offer.
6. Poem for my Bench
Ocean of memory
I dived inside the ocean of memory
And went deeper and deeper
Everything around me went still
My life began to rewind
Flashing images from my past
The sorrows
and the pains
The joy and the gains
I wanted some mom
ents to stay for ever
And some to disappear fast
My whole life came before my eyes
Then everything became blank
I was still, everything around me became dynamic
I slowly returned
back to the present
The ocean of memory is so vast
As life goes on, it grows bigger
I do make m
any voyages
Some so enthralling
Some full of pain
But my heart doesn’t agree
It always wants to swim in this ocean
Kavitha Krishnamurthy
I chose the poem “Ocean of memory” because it really seems to agree with the time I spent at my bench. It is as though this ocean of memory was my bench, because as soon as I started to see things when I was sitting on my bench, I was relating them to memories in my past. When I saw families playing with their children, it reminded me of times I spent with my parents. I saw some friends doing things together at the park, and it made me think of all the fun and mischief that my friends and I used to get into. Parts in this poem also give a real feeling of peace, which is what my overall experience at my bench was, a peaceful one. As I was looking through poems to choose from, coming across this one seemed very fitting. It is very metaphorical, but it does relate closely to how I felt when I spent time on my bench.
7. Philosophy of Life
The poem “Ocean of memory” does relate to my philosophy of life in one way or another. I believe that when the speaker says that she “always wants to swim in this ocean” it is because she wishes she could relive her childhood and her past. I think that in our lives, we spend too much time worrying about the future, that we forget to live our lives in the present. This poem is talking more about the woman’s past, but the fact is that we spend so much time preparing ourselves for what is going to happen next, we have no time to actually realize what is going on around us in this moment. I think that humans tend to lose sight of the fact that life is too short to always be worrying about the things that we can’t control. If we spend more time looking into our past, it would change the way the we want to live our lives in the future. Some people wish they could leave their past behind them, and some people wish they could relive their younger days. What I’m trying to say is, if someone who didn’t like the way they used to live their life and they realized that, they could adapt to something new to make sure they don’t live the rest of their life that way. That’s how I look at things. I really enjoyed my childhood and my youth, and so I try to always hold on to some part of it, even though I know I have to grow up. I have family traditions, some superstitions and even valuables that I have had with me my entire life, and no matter what changes, knowing that those will stay the same helps me keep from completely losing faith in people at times. This poem really speaks to me, because everyone has times in their past that they did and didn’t like, but I agree with the speaker saying that she still returns to the ocean of memory, even though some of the memories aren’t good. I agree with the thought that we shouldn’t run from our pasts, because they can only make us stronger if they aren’t good memories.
8. My view on Parks
Before having this project dumped on me, I didn’t have an answer for what the purpose of a park was. Other than the big, famous parks, I figured that most parks were a place for children to play during the day, and a place for teenagers with no other destinations to hang out at night. Now, I realize that there is much more depth in most parks, and there is something at every different one that makes it unique. Parks are a place where people can go to play, exercise, relax, and for the most part, do anything they desire. Usually in a surrounding of nature and serenity, parks have a very peaceful environment that can’t be topped by many other places. Sitting on my bench, I was taken away by the amount of people soaking in the parks beauty on a sunny sunday afternoon. Parks are a place for people of all ages to come and reflect on their past and their future, and a place where anyone can feel comfortable and peaceful. I think that parks are an important part of our society, because they create an escape for people of all generations. Without parks, our cities around the world would all just be roads and buildings, with no touch of nature.
9. Graduation Poem
The time to graduate is drawing near
A nervousness surrounds me, even a fear
The time has come to move on and grow
Holding on to good memories, and letting some go.
I’ve grown more mature, and I’ve come of age
And I’ll remember my family when I cross the stage
When it’s time to leave, and I wave to the crowd
I can happily go, knowing I made my parents proud.
I’ve lost some good friends, but gained so many more
And in this short maze of life, this is just a new door
A new opportunity, a new time to shine
In this thing called our life, a new mountain to climb.
Braden Western
