The Park Bench - A Story about Awareness

I take a 30-minute break to escape the office. I sit on a park bench and let the world pass me by. I am invisible to its neurosis and mental chatter. I see a black woman in leopard tights pushing a stroller along as she speaks in Spanish, the white baby half asleep, drowsy from the heat and the world around him.

A financial analyst sits next to me, completely engulfed in his phone, frantically opening all apps with red bubbles on them. I see a middle-aged black man wearing an orange vest raking leaves, seemingly at peace and completely dedicated to doing his job. It’s a sharp contrast to the guy next to him, fidgeting with his camera, clearly not comfortable with his accessory. I wonder if he’ll ever capture a moment that inspires him.

The energy in the air is gentle, yet I can sense a permanent restlessness, a flippant presence that permeates everything. I recognize my increased awareness, quickly dissolving as soon as I place my attention on it.

The sun peeks through two monster clouds, and my reality begins to glisten, amplifying details I was completely unaware of before. The oak trees appear to stretch out onto the sky, leaves open wide basking in the sun.

I close my eyes and let my ears construct the world around me. Birds communicate with each other at lightning speeds, while car horns attack each other at a distance, aggressive and tired. My awareness notices a wave of human conversations, too overwhelming to keep up.

I open my eyes and my lush vibrational dimension disappears. I look at my phone and a wave of anxiety comes back to me as slack messages and email notifications take over my screen. Then, with a familiar heaviness perched on my shoulders, I get up and walk away.