We’re Covid-drained, done with distancing, crazed for company, and becoming immune to news headlines that include the adjectives ‘alarming,’ ‘catastrophic,’ and ‘tragic.’ We had to do something different before we lost our minds. So we created an uncommon date – a park bench date.
What’s an Uncommon Date?
I bet that’s just what you are asking yourself! Let me explain.
Last winter, when we were blissfully hugging people, singing in church, and watching movies in theaters, Bruce and I started going through Randy Southern’s 52 Uncommon Dates (affiliate link). We enjoyed lots of them including The Service Date, the First Time for Everything Date, and The Backrub Date.
Then Bruce’s surprise hospitalization and subsequent brain surgeries and the COVID-19 shutdown kind of put a kibosh on the whole dating thing.
This week we took a walk in the evening to a neighborhood park. I began noticing how many park benches there were. I’ve been in that park zillions of times, and never really paid attention to all the benches.
I kind of talked Bruce into a game – “let’s sit on each bench and name them! I will take photos and write a blog post!” It sounded like so much fun to me, and he good naturedly went along with it. To a point. Here’s what we discovered on our uncommon date.
The Personality Benches
We saw a variety of benches that would appeal to different personalities. I love learning about personalities, and so this was right up my alley.
The Message Benches
We saw a variety of benches that evoked thoughtfulness and introspection. We often see people on these benches, gazing at the scenery in front of them.
The Lovers Benches
Lots of the benches had dedication plaques on them, and quite a few reflected enduring love. And one evidenced quite a few pen-knife etches with initials of unnamed lovers.
The Comical Benches
Then we just had fun with naming some of the benches. By the time we had gone this far, you-know-who was losing his cooperative spirit. So we skipped one loop of the park. We’ll save that for another day, right Bruce?????
Have Fun with Uncommon Dates
We are built to enjoy, laugh, and have fun. It helps us to put things in perspective and not take ourselves too seriously to play around. God gave us the gift of laughter, why not employ it and try an uncommon date of your own?
The cheerful of heart has a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15b
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
Psalm 126:2
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter.
Job 8:21a
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22