Dad Bench

The waiting room with armrests

Southcenter Mall, Tukwila.

The wood ones near the middle.

Kids still shopping.

Three of us on the same bench.

Phones out.

Nobody said a word.

How it works

You sit. You do not announce that you sat.
A nod is the whole conversation.
Bags go on the slat next to you.
You look at the phone. The other guy looks at his.
If someone starts talking, it is almost always a dad joke and it is almost always worse than silence.
When they come back you stand up like you were never that comfortable.

August 26, 2026. Westfield Southcenter. Dinner hour. The bench filled itself. Same posture on three different phones.

Send a bench if you have one. Mall, storefront, IKEA, wherever the waiting happens. Photo and two lines is enough.