Strangers on a Bench – Episode 57: Cubed Watermelon
Host: Tom Rosenthal
Date: October 13, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode of Strangers on a Bench features Tom Rosenthal in conversation with an anonymous woman (referred to as "B") on a London park bench. Their exchange spins a detailed tapestry of quiet daily joys, hard-won wisdom, and seismic life changes. Through playful talk of cubed watermelon, sound effects, and favorite days, the conversation unfolds into reflections on solitude, connections, loss, personal growth, and a surprise revelation about the future.
The episode is marked by warmth, humor, candor, and a gentle philosophical lens as B unpacks a transformative year—relationship endings and beginnings, family bereavement, migration, and pregnancy—threaded together with love for simple pleasures and a deep desire for authenticity.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Wednesday Mornings & Simple Pleasures (00:56–04:29)
- The Sacredness of Wednesdays:
B reminisces about Wednesdays being her favorite day due to a routine that offered comfort and certainty, which has since changed due to her unstructured schedule as a waitress. - Morning Rituals:
B values waking up with the sun (around 7:30–8:00 am), listening to birds, and avoiding her phone. She finds transition from sleep to wakefulness a quietly sacred time. - The Joy of Solitude:
The pleasure of sitting outside, ideally at the beach with a book and journal, and listening to the sounds of nature over human voices. - Aversion to Crowds & Festivals:
Both B and Tom agree they're not festival people; B prefers the peacefulness of small, private experiences to social bustle.
"I'd rather hear the voices of the waves than a human being."
— B, [03:52]
2. Disingenuousness & Boundaries in Social Life (04:29–06:18)
- B shares her discomfort with superficiality in modern interactions, especially in the workplace. She describes maintaining polite boundaries with a particularly insincere colleague.
- Reflects on the necessity—and sometimes inevitability—of setting limits in social spheres for self-preservation.
3. Ideal Day – The Rituals of Food and Silence (07:36–12:33)
- A Day at the Beach:
Relaxing alone, journaling, reading, possibly swimming, and eating fruit. B highlights her “meticulous” method for cubing watermelon as a particularly satisfying daily ritual. - Cubed Snacks for the Soul:
Clementines, grapes, and watermelon (always cubed)—this detail becomes a running motif and metaphor for B's love of simplicity and order.
"Always cubed. I'm very meticulous with how I cut my watermelon. There's a method."
— B, [08:02]
- Transition from Solitude to Shared Spaces:
Cooking dinner at home, sometimes alone, sometimes with her boyfriend, who is “leaps and bounds” the better cook, but she relishes the ritual regardless. He is welcome, but the day is ultimately her own.
4. Relationship Dynamics—Connection, Comfort, and Choice (12:02–16:14)
- Forming a Relationship through Silence:
B describes the comfort found in being able to share silence with her boyfriend. - Their Origin Story:
Met by chance in Vietnam (she Canadian, he Irish)—their initial connection was so strong, she described a “gut feeling” at their parting, despite having a partner back home. - Long-Distance Foundations:
Their relationship blossomed digitally via Instagram and WhatsApp, with B negotiating difficult boundaries due to her existing relationship.
5. A Year of Seismic Change (16:00–23:51)
- B narrates the immense upheaval of 2024: ending an 8-year relationship, leaving a beloved cat, her father's sudden death, her mother’s illness, and the chaos of dealing with her father’s difficult girlfriend and funeral logistics.
"A lot happened in 2024. A lot."
— B, [19:36]
- Lessons in Forgiveness:
B speaks about practicing forgiveness, especially towards her father’s girlfriend, despite the difficulties she caused.
“People that cause pain are in pain… Hurt people hurt people.”
— Tom & B, [20:49–20:59]
6. Grief, Regret, and Family Complexity (23:54–29:46)
- Saying Goodbye:
B’s poignant farewell to her cat, expressing love and apology for leaving him. - Strained Parental Bonds:
In the wake of her father’s death, she reflects on their distant relationship, exacerbated by his girlfriend’s interference and his post-surgery memory loss. She shares a small, lingering regret about declining a last meal together.
"Always go to the Greek restaurant with your father. Don’t skip the gyros."
— B, [28:30]
- Hostility with the Girlfriend:
The aftermath included harassing threats and eventual police involvement to ensure her safety.
7. Resilience, Support Networks, and Moving Forward (30:01–33:43)
- Living Out of Her Car:
After her father’s death, B temporarily stayed with her childhood best friend's mother for nine months, learning the value of accepting help. - A New Beginning:
B visits her Irish boyfriend, followed by him visiting her; together, they decide on her move to Ireland, propelled partly by her long-held desire to live abroad and the whirlwind of her recent experiences.
"There are a lot of people that want to help you, and it's okay to accept that help."
— B, [31:06]
8. Transformation and Adaptation in Ireland (39:03–42:33)
- Adjusting to a New Land:
B struggles with Ireland’s lack of sunshine but delights in proximity to the sea and even a backyard palm tree, seeing the fulfillment of old dreams in new forms. - Letting Go and Healing:
She details the physical and emotional exhaustion of the previous year, and the nervous system’s slow unwinding through time and self-care.
9. Personal Agency & Relationship Autonomy (41:39–42:33)
- B affirms that while she moved for love, it was ultimately her choice; there's no resentment or extra pressure — she owns her agency and decisions.
10. Identity Layers – Past Influences and Future Versions (45:12–51:08)
- Versions of Self:
B chronicles her evolution: strict church upbringing, gradual breaking away and return “on her own terms,” struggles with people-pleasing, and a blossoming sense of individuality. - Wisdom Gained:
She explores the positives and negatives of her religious upbringing, particularly boundaries and the impulse to people-please.
"You're on your, like, fifth version of yourself. Sixth version of yourself… I'm 32… on my sixth version of myself. Which is cool. Proud of it."
— B & Tom, [45:22–45:42]
11. Plot Twist: A New Life (51:00–53:59)
- Pregnancy Reveal:
B reveals to Tom (and the audience) that she is four months pregnant. This joyous announcement is both a literal and figurative “new version” of herself and a moving full circle for Tom’s interview quest.
"I'm four months pregnant."
— B, [51:12]
- Parenthood Hopes:
Despite being far from family and friends, B expresses deep happiness, hopefulness, and trust in her own resilience.
12. On Roots, Rituals, and Symbols (53:59–55:59)
- Cherished Tokens:
B brought a stuffed teddy bear to Ireland with a recording of her mother's voice—a sentimental link to home, albeit triggered over-sensitively. - Tattoos with Meaning:
She describes her large tattoo of Carmen Miranda (the “fruit hat” samba dancer), and another of her mom at 21, sharing mixed feelings about portrait tattoos.
13. Closing Reflections (56:48–57:59)
- Philosophy Moving Forward:
B vows not to take life too seriously, to embrace the uncertainty, and to continue her signature cubed-watermelon approach—finding joy and order in small rituals. - The episode ends with a turkey gobble sound effect, reflecting B’s playful spirit.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On solitude and authenticity:
"Oh, I sound like such a not people person. I am, but I'm Not."
— B, [07:09] -
On compassion:
"People that cause pain are in pain… Hurt people hurt people."
— Tom & B, [20:49–20:59] -
On loss:
"I just kept telling him I love him so much. I miss him so much. ... I just kept saying I'm sorry."
— B, [22:16] -
On regret:
"Always go to the Greek restaurant with your father. Don’t skip the gyros."
— B, [28:30] -
On accepting help:
"It's okay to accept that help. ... That doesn't mean you're a weak person."
— B, [31:35] -
On resilience:
"Humans are resilient. ... Don’t be afraid to ask for help. See, it comes back to that."
— B, [53:54] -
The plot twist:
"I'm four months pregnant."
— B, [51:12]
Important Timestamps
- 00:56 — B discusses Wednesdays and her ideal morning ritual.
- 03:52 — Preference for waves over voices; gentle philosophy of solitude.
- 08:02 — B introduces her cubed watermelon technique (episode’s running motif).
- 12:33 — The story of meeting her Irish boyfriend, and the importance of silence/shared comfort.
- 19:36–23:51 — Bereavement, forgiveness, and the complex family year.
- 28:30 — "Always go to the Greek restaurant with your father.”
- 31:06 — Value of help and generosity from friends.
- 39:03 — Adjusting to life in Ireland.
- 42:33 — Discussion about personal agency in life choices.
- 45:22–45:42 — "Sixth version of myself" exchange.
- 51:12 — Pregnancy plot twist revealed.
- 53:39 — Reflection on how her child will "come out basically a fruit" due to all her watermelon.
- 55:22 — Tattoos: Carmen Miranda and her mother.
- 57:01 — Final reflection: "Cube your watermelon, people. Cube it."
- 57:59 — Turkey gobble to close.
Tone & Style
- Playful and earnest: (turkey gobbles, running jokes about watermelon cubes, sound effects)
- Reflective and candid: (speaking of loss, regret, and major transitions with honesty)
- Philosophically warm: (explorations of solitude, boundaries, kindness, and self-acceptance)
- Rooted in storytelling: (episodic snippets from various "versions" of B’s life)
Conclusion
Episode 57, "Cubed Watermelon," encapsulates Tom Rosenthal’s podcast at its best: a brief encounter revealing the extraordinary within the ordinary. Through B’s story, listeners follow a year marked by endings and unexpected beginnings, softened by small rituals and the forbearance to seek and accept help. Her story reminds us of the value of silence, chosen family, kindness (to self and others), and the possibility of renewal in every "version" of ourselves—ending as it began, with the simple, meticulous joy of a well-cubed watermelon.