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Family
Rest for the Weary
by
Maggie Zeibak, photo by Don Kindred
 Ample
rumps and marshmallow thighs need support! My dogs are barking,
you sigh. Take a load off, park it or simply sit and rest. Fortunately
our Downtown area provides us with a few buttock supporters in
the form of sturdy benches placed on Avenida Del Mar and in the
Pier Bowl area. More benches are found in parks around town.
Can you imagine the variety of shapes,
sizes and colors of people who gratefully deposit their nether
regions on these platforms? Have you feasted your eyes on the
fit, young and athletic bodies that take a break from their workouts
and cool down on a bench thoughtfully provided by the City of
San Clemente? Perhaps we’d find that each person has a different
label for that part of their anatomy, some say posteriors, bums
or backside while others refer to their tushes or rear end. Regardless,
reclining butts are well accommodated in our town.
“The Beaches and Parks Division
has a program to accept donated benches in our parks,” says
Manager Dennis Reed. “Donors provide funding for the benches
and have the option of inscriptions or plaques, or both. This
has been a very successful program, so successful that it is almost
complete. We have entirely replaced all the benches on the pier
and are no longer accepting donations for this area; however,
Parque del Mar has one spot left.”
Donations can be made to the City’s
Wish Book for a concrete bench and can feature either an inscription
on the face of the bench or a brass plaque approved by the San
Clemente Beaches, Parks and Recreation Department. Benches are
installed quarterly and there are varying charges.
How much, you ask? The cost for
the bench is $1600, add in installation charges and optional inscriptions,
the estimated figure is around $2200. Certainly not an astronomical
sum.
Early in the morning on Avenida
Del Mar, the seats offer good support for coffee hounds long of
leg and body. For those of us who are vertically challenged, we
must sip our beverages sitting nearer the edge with feet planted
firmly on the muted red and gray jagged-edged brickwork. Transformed
into a seat of learning, many treasured books are thumbed here;
papers perused; and animated discussions held that lead to new
understanding and fresh points of view. Patient dogs sit while
their owners vigorously discuss the merits of their brew until
another of the canine species arrives with new sniffing sections
to inspect.
How easy it is to strike up conversations,
particularly when the sun is warm and people watching is on top
of the “To Do” list. We can meet the nicest of people
while we unpack our lunch from the deli or let rivulets of ice
cream run down our chins as we look for moments of happiness in
each day.
“Everything In Moderation”
and “Mems0ories As Eternal As The Sea” are inscriptions
that give us pause to reflect and appreciate a donor’s kindness.
Reading the plaques we can appreciate a family’s affectionate
humor as they dedicate it to a “…really nice guy,
good listener, worry wart, motivator…”
Thank you donors for your gift,
and if you or your organization is thinking of doing the same,
application forms are available from the City Office.
Meanwhile, locals and visitors can
shift from cheek to cheek as they share one of the important amenities
of our coastal village. The benches make our life comfortable
here in San Clemente where we live it and love it. Happy people.
Happy hineys. b
Family
- Rest for the Weary
by
Maggie Zeibak
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