Mountain Times Volume 49, Number 13: March 25-31, 2020

20 • The Mountain Times • March 25-31, 2020
SALE!
20-50% OFF
ALPINE TOURING BOOTS
Main St. Ludlow, VT (802)
228-3344
2089 Killington Road, Killington, VT 05751 (802) 422-9675
SHOP
ONLINE AT
FORERUNNERSKI.COM
2324 Killington Road • 802-422-3950
forerunnerskishop.com • frskishop@comcast.net
By Merisa Sherman
“There’s a bench on Kent Pond, where I like to go and sit,” Sherman reflects on a unassuming spot that holds meaning.
There’s a bench on Kent Pond, where I like to go
and sit. It’s not the world’s most comfortable or beautiful
bench, just some old 2x4s bolted together and
cemented into the ground. But
it’s there just the same, beckoning
one to come and sit
and stare out across the water
and out toward the mountain
which surround the pond. The
top piece of wood has been
worn down over the years, so
that the bench is just slightly
Livin’ the
Dream
By Merisa
Sherman
lower on the one side. You have
to sit down gingerly, in case you
get a splinter where when isn’t
necessarily wanted, but sit you
do.
My feet are just far enough
away from the water that I can’t reach, no matter
how much I scoot down on the bench and extend
my legs. But, for some reason, I always try. Perhaps I
think the water is higher
than usual, or that
the beavers have made
some new structure
that will have brought
the water closer to the
bench. Or maybe I’m
just stretching, settling
in to my “Thoughtful Spot” and finding the perfect
position for a few minutes of reflection.
It’s also a place of joy, as I was sitting here when my
beloved cousin let me know she going to be a mom
for the first time. I jumped off the bench then, and
walked excitedly, through the water and onto the
sometimes existing peninsula. It’s a peaceful spot,
but it’s usually a loud joy. As a group of paddle-loving
individuals gather to celebrate the 100th launch of
one of our dear friends, there is nothing but laughter
as we make our way out to Goose Poop Island. Or the
rambunctious excitement of a family with two little
The Bench
“... maybe I’m just stretching, settling
into my ‘Thoughtful Spot’ and finding
the perfect position for a few minutes
of reflection.”
girls heading off in a canoe for the first time.
But it’s also a bench of sadness, and where I would
take our cherished golden retriever at the end of her
life to wade in the water while I held back tears. I
would sit and watch Vespi while she swayed along,
the effects of her stroke not preventing her from putting
her snout in the water, watching the fish swimming.
She would follow them for hours, never even
picking her head up when I called her name. Vespi
loved to watch those fish. And I would try to be happy
knowing she was happy.
There’s a bench on Kent Pond, where I like to go
and sit. I’m not sure why, but there is something
about that bench that makes me feel grounded and
once again at peace with the world and myself. I always
found it strange, that no matter how much time
I spend on the water in my canoe or in the woods hiking
with my skis on, that just sitting on this one bench
has solved more problems for me than any place else.
It is not a comfortable bench at all, but somehow it’s
one of the few places where I can actually sit still.
And so I went this
week. To sit and see if
the Green Mountains
would guide me, if
they had any answers
for the anxiety and
chaos that are quietly
becoming the new
normal. The pond was still frozen solid, like the ski resort
itself, and there was a feeling of emptiness except
for two ice fishermen braving the pond. As I sighed a
sigh of misfortune and despair, the wind came down
off the mountains, wrapped itself around me and
whispered in my ear. It sang a song of Peace, Patience,
and Constance. The wind reminded me that it might
change direction or temperature or intensity, but it
will be there. I sat there and let the cold wind take over
my soul, guiding me to relax and trust and breathe.
There’s a bench on Kent Pond, where I like to go
and sit. But I think I’ll bring some hot cocoa next time.