A public bench,
a little rest, a lot of humanity

By Christian Morisot.

First and foremost, I wish to offer a very apologetic mea culpa for not having thought of it sooner, at least during my time as director of the Foreign Legion Veterans' Institution in Puyloubier: "to install public benches within the grounds."

This would have allowed the most frail and weary residents to leave their living quarters and go for a walk, peacefully and safely, finding a place to stop and relax, to unwind, to enjoy the surrounding greenery and the exceptional scenery. Without it, there is no possibility of exploration or discovery; only imposed idleness remains in the immediate vicinity of their rooms…

The public bench appeared in our cities at the end of the 19th century, at the same time as street lighting, street plantings, and trash cans. These were undoubtedly major advances that became the true foundational elements of an urban environment adapted to the daily lives of the French. Thus, a truly creative city was one that installed thousands of benches, initially to attract the elderly, who found in each bench an oasis of rest, with the understanding that it should never be too far from the next, to facilitate their strolls.

Moreover, the bench facilitated spontaneous encounters, and authors of novels and songs were not mistaken when they evoked the use of public benches; for example, Gustave Flaubert had Bouvard and Péruchet meet, Georges Brassens sang of "lovers kissing on public benches," and Renault chose to sit on one to tell his daughter about his childhood and his fabulous "Mistral gagnant."

Thus, the public bench created more life, and if it sometimes failed to fulfill this function, it was simply because it was placed in the wrong spot…

Today, in Paris, as in many shops and supermarkets, benches are so rare that when people find one, they queue up to sit on it… Without these benches, one thing is clear: the comfort and well-being of our seniors housed in this beautiful Provençal and Legionary institution are compromised.

Allow me to share an anecdote on this subject: I recently made a wonderful discovery during a trip to Scotland concerning public benches placed around a beautiful little loch. The unique feature of these “havens of peace and rest” is that they were donated by deceased individuals, a detail indicated by a small plaque engraved with their name and inlaid in the back of the seat.

Why not extend this unique approach to our institution? This is a proposal I would submit to the Director, as well as to the President of the Residents' Association, the aptly named PyC, who never misses this kind of challenge to advance what he calls the primary mission of his Association and who applies the principle of "first and foremost, against all odds" to promote the well-being of the residents.

Furthermore, we could judiciously add trash cans nearby, which are always lacking to maintain a noticeable level of cleanliness in the most elegant areas. A great story to follow…