ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – This month’s PositivelyJAX Award goes to something unique: a bench. But it’s no ordinary bench—it’s The Purple Bench, powered by people and conversation. The concept was brought to life by a group called Compassionate St. Augustine, sparking empathy and understanding in anyone willing to sit down and listen.
This purple bench, located just outside the gates of the Lincolnville Community Garden in St. Augustine, often sits empty, waiting for someone to take a seat and begin a conversation.
When I approached, Eileen Reid was happy to join me. In just a short 10-minute conversation, I got to know her—a retired hospice nurse with a heavy heart about global warming but still open to new discoveries in her life.
“I’ve been around a lot of endings, and endings are beginnings, but now, now I’m beginning a whole different phase of my life, and it’s interesting. It’s like I’m rediscovering myself,” says Reid.
A Place for Community
The Purple Bench isn’t just about individual conversations; it’s a place to foster empathy and understanding within the community. I’ve sat with the creators—members of Compassionate St. Augustine—who wanted this to be a safe, inclusive space where people could talk, listen, and learn from each other.
“I said, Well, I think we should do purple benches, because purple in this country is neutral. Okay? We don’t want red and blue. We don’t want any of that divisiveness. So that’s why a purple bench,” says Nancy Murphy with Compassionate St Augustine.
Listening to Connect
The rules of engagement, accessible via a QR code on the bench, emphasize respect, deep listening, kindness, curiosity, and empathy. It’s easier said than done, but already, the bench has facilitated meaningful conversations—even during challenging discussions on topics like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“It was a real process of learning how to listen to her and for her to listen to me and recognize that there were places where we really had some agreement, and places where we had sincere disagreement, but that we could not only just to kind of tolerate that, but that we actually grew in deep connection together by doing that,” says Warren Clark with Compassionate St Augustine.
Compassionate St. Augustine’s Goals
The goal isn’t to find agreement; it’s for everyone to feel heard and respected. Eileen, like many of us, worries about polarizing topics, including global warming. When we have conversations with those who are different, the key is listening—truly listening.
“That’s why I encourage everyone to participate, those in that live in our community, because it’s such a wonderful opportunity to bring a positive, you know, atmosphere to such times like what we’re going through right now, and just to have a place to sit down and to speak with someone you don’t know, and to leave as a friend. Yeah, what better way to have a conversation?,” says Robin Thomas, Executive Director and Board VP of Compassionate St. Augustine.
How do you have those conversations with people who are different than you?
“The first thing you do is be a good listener, yeah, get off your own agenda and have ears, not a mouth all the time and listen,” said Reid.
The Purple Bench embodies Compassionate St. Augustine’s mission to build common ground and support those in need, a mission closely aligned with PositivelyJAX and the spirit of serving others and sometimes, it all starts with something as simple as a purple bench.
Explore The Purple Bench in St. Augustine and start your own journey toward understanding and compassion.