A diary on a bench near you
It’s been almost two years since the Bench Diary project got started by Dessa Lohrey in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
As explained by Dessa and found in every diary, “Tied to a bench for one day, each bench diary invites those who happen upon it to share their inner (or outer) most thoughts.”
18 cites, 8 countries, 4 continents participate in Bench Diary
Calgary is one of eighteen cities (only one of three in Canada) in eight countries that have a team of volunteers placing diaries on random benches throughout their home city.
I met with Tamara Lee, over tea at Higher Ground Cafe (my new favorite haunt in the city), to talk about this global storytelling project.
Response to a diary on a bench
Tamara is a force to be reckoned with. She makes things happen. She is an advocate for all things fostering social, real-time, interactions within the community.
She is also a good story teller. She shared with me how at first, when she started putting the diary out on benches, the general passersby seemed to shy of even sitting down on the bench, let alone writing something in the diary. That all changed when she decided to start the entries off each day with a greeting or word prompt.
Anonymous entries provide a window into humanity
So interesting to read the diary entries. Some are surprising, others profound and some are just downright funny. What Tamara soon discovered, was the bench diary became more than a novel social experiment. It became a book of reflections. Insights into people.
One entry was from a seventeen year old, who signed his name as Fletch. He shared a post in the diary in the wee hours one morning, around 3:00am, about his life as a homeless teen. He couldn’t get over that someone would want to read his thoughts and how he felt safe sitting on the bench writing his story.
Details on how to get involved and participate in Bench Diary are but a click away. You just never know what impact it might have on someone.
Hi Barb! Yes, I would definitely write in a bench diary. They remind me of the logs I have found once or twice at the tops of mountain hikes inside metal tubes. What fun to read about all the people who have reached the end of the trail and tell about where they’re from!
Why, hello there, Ramona! I love your story about the logs at the top of a trail. I haven’t run into this myself, must do a bit of sleuthing, would make a great story. Any info you have would be fantastic. Perhaps you will start your own bench diary? Nice to chat.