On any given sunny day, Bill Affolter can be found at his bench on the edge of Lincoln Park. Plenty of rest stops line the scenic path overlooking Puget Sound, but one in particular is his favorite, marked by an inconspicuous bronze plaque featuring a quote from Jackie Robinson: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
A retired family practice physician for over 35 years, Affolter is perhaps best known in the area as the founder and sole operator of “Story Bench”, a place to tell and hear stories. His mission is in many ways guided by Robinson’s profound words.
“It’s such a simple idea: to sit and talk to someone,” Affolter said on a gorgeous fall day. I brought my two children and their school friend to his bench.
“Mr. Bill”, as my kids have called him ever since that auspicious afternoon, had several tales to tell his young audience, many inspired by decades of practicing medicine. He told one about an adolescent patient with a case of color-changing spots. We were transfixed by the love story of a patient named Timothy, a missed connection, and an improperly placed cherry tree.
“Are these real patients and real stories?” asked his tiny skeptics.
“Does it make any difference?” Affolter responded with a grin. “Some things might be made up. Some things might be true. Does it make it any less fun? All these stories could be real. In fact, some of them probably are. But they were in my head, so I pulled them out.”
Storyteller Bill Affolter greets kids at The Story Bench in Lincoln Park (Photo by Candice McMillan)
A storied origin
Native to Syracuse, New York, Affolter drove across the country in 1969 as a junior at SUNY Upstate Medical School, inspecting cities for the “best place to live” for his impending residency. When he drove over the Cascades, Seattle’s small-town vibe and natural beauty called to him. Affolter and his wife Suzie raised their two children in Seattle’s Madison neighborhood, though travel and adventure were an ever-present part of their lives.
With his family in tow, Affolter traveled the world three times as a program physician for Semester at Sea, a collegiate study abroad program conducted on a cruise ship. Responsible for the health of 500 college students, Affolter called the experience “life-changing”. Decades later, his daughter Emily followed in his footsteps and served as a professor for the very same program.
In 2020, he and Suzie moved to West Seattle. Eager to meet people in his new neighborhood, Affolter said he could have joined a senior center, but he “wouldn’t learn a lot from old people because they’re people [he’s] been with [his] whole life”. He sought “a little diversity”.
In 2023, Story Bench opened for business. Outfitted with a walking stick and a double-sided poster board, one side advertising the Story Bench and the other offering prompts to guide conversation with guests, Affolter told Suzie he was off to sit on a bench and wait for people to join him. In the three years since he started, he estimates he’s spoken to nearly 400 new acquaintances from all walks of life.
“It’s like fishing,” Affolter said of how he attracts passersby to take a chance on Story Bench. “There are some ways that it works better. Number one, you have to believe it is gonna work. Number two, you have to be open and happy, like somebody you want to talk to. Next, you have to make eye contact.”’
It’s all about sharing stories (Photo by Candice McMillan)
Shifting perspectives
If the weather is exceptionally nice, he’ll come down every day, but more likely Affolter sets up shop two to three times a week and always, vacancy permitting, at the Jackie Robinson bench. He typically limits his time on the bench to two hours per visit. Affolter inherited his family’s signature raspy voice, which tires easily.
Story Bench doesn’t have a singular narrator. Affolter is just as happy listening to stories from his visitors as he is telling ones from his own library. He nodded and reacted accordingly when one of my young raconteurs told a spooky story with particular flair, and he was quick off the mark with astute follow-up questions.
“Sometimes I’ll have a conversation for hours with somebody,” Affolter said. “I’ve heard love stories, ghost stories, adventure stories, sad stories, happy stories. It never gets old. I’ve never been down here when somebody didn’t stop. Now, I’ve done it for so long that a lot of people will come by and say, ‘You know, I’ve always wanted to talk to you, but there’s always somebody sitting on your bench.’”
Afterward, when the kids were down at the water’s edge, sifting through shells and discovering beached sea creatures, Affolter wanted to know about me, where I’m from and how I ended up at his bench. It was a long story, but he wanted to hear it.
After all, that’s what Story Bench is all about.
(Photo by Candice McMillan)
