A Place to Sit

I’m a reluctant sitter, mostly due to my restless nature. Several years ago, I came across the phrase, “Sitting is the new smoking,” and quickly adopted it as justification for my disinterest in parking myself on the sofa. Why sit when I can stand, walk, meander, or even squat, as I do in the garden when I’m pulling weeds? And yet, sit I must – to work at my desk, to eat a meal (although sometimes I eat standing next to the kitchen island), read a book, peddle my bike, paddle in my kayak, watch a movie. Yes, sitting has its applications and its benefits.

When I do sit, I like having my feet up, as opposed to flat on the floor. At my desk, my feet rest on a block of wood. On our family room couch, they’re atop an ottoman – same when I’m sitting on the front porch. When I’m driving the car, my right foot must attend to its gas and brake pedal duties, but my left foot is often perched on the seat, my knee bent and leaning against the driver’s side door.

A part of me wants to sit more – because I know that it could lead to relaxation, the pleasure of which too often seems to escape me. I’d rather be outside doing something. And yet, wherever I go, I see people sitting. And they appear to be happy doing so, sipping a cup of coffee, lounging at the beach, or taking it all in from a park bench.

I was reminded the other day about my inability to sit for too long when a friend and I went to the New Britain Museum of American Art. After sitting in the car for an hour, I was ready to get vertical, to walk through the galleries of paintings, sculpture, and lithographs. What surprised me was not the exquisite artwork - that I expected. It was the benches! Of course, most museums have places to sit, to rest, to ponder. But I haven’t seen anything like the rejuvenation and reflection offerings at the NBMAA.

Consider the bear bench. This is the first one I saw, and I was immediately called to sit upon it. Flat and cool, the bench provided a firm but comfortable sitting surface. My thoughts were transported out of the museum and into the wild, where I knew the chance of sitting on an actual bear was nil. (Plus, a real bear would be lumpy.) A regular wood bench is nice, but not necessarily enough to tempt a habitual stander. But a bear? Yes, let’s sit on the bear!

Here are two other benches in the museum:

This is what I’m thinking: Because these benches compelled me to sit, maybe I could look into some kind of sitting vacation, as a means to help me become a better sitter. The idea being that I’d travel to various locations with pleasant places to take a load off. The travel wouldn’t have to be extensive or expensive. I could simply lower myself onto a granite ledge overlooking the water or into a plush chair at a furniture store. Endless vacation options!

Will it work? Will I want to sit more after I return home from my sitting vacation? Will my chronic fanny fatigue diminish? Doubtful. But it may prompt me to sit more than I’m sitting now, and that’s a start.

Do you like to sit? If so, what’s your secret, and where is your favorite place to rest your weary bones?

Recommendation: Find a suitable place and sit yourself down.