Sitting On A Bench Is One Of Life's Forgotten Pleasures.

Worldwide or just here in Burgenland ?

Like anything else that you discover and like, this was also by mere chance or dare I say accident. Of course I have seen the slightly older crowd do it daily, but somehow I thought that I had not yet enough candles on my Birthday cake to warrant an entry ticket...

Waiting for someone in that blazing heat of a late afternoon, I took a chance and plonked myself down on an empty bench outside a friends house. Oh no, I am not so brave as to use a stranger's bench ! In my defense, that bench had a lovely big tree behind it. A tree which provided ample shade.

The first second was really the hardest as I felt self conscious but the longer I sat on it, the world somehow changed. It was the most amazing feeling. Sitting on this bench, next to the pavement, I had become an observer.

The haste was left behind and I could just marvel in this feeling of just being. Watching cars drive by and catching glimpses of those inside was educational. The usual suspects: man in haste / young woman smoking and singing along to tunes only she could hear / older drivers inching forward...

Sitting there, a neighbour shouted a greeting across the road and being a polite person, I shouted a reply ! Isn't that bench etiquette ?

Driving around our village ( and a lot of others ) we have always seen these benches and their sitters. In fact, we can give you directions based on them:

• " When you get to the house with the three older women on a bench outside, go straight for another 100 m. "
or
• " At the second bench passed the stop sign, you'll see an older woman waving at you. Turn left then. "

Well, I tell you, the first thing I said to Bob when I got home yesterday afternoon was : " Schatzi, we are getting a bench and there is no need for us to wait a decade or two ! "

Biggi

One of the benches in our neighbourhood.

We had an old rickety garden bench. I made Bob carry it out this morning to see what it feels & looks like. There will hopefully be an upgrade to Bench.2 complete with wine cooler and snack table...