BRIDGES
Tatu
There are many impressive bridges in the world. One of the most impressive
and well known is the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Everyone has heard of the
Brooklyn Bridge connecting Brooklyn, NY to Manhattan. I got to travel over
that one in July 2001. The longest bridge in the world is the Lake Ponchartrain
bridge that spans Lake Ponchartrain into New Orleans. Nothing exciting, but
Some of the most significant bridges I have ever crossed are the the ones that cross small steams in a Japanese garden. The Japanese take their artistic beauty to even the simplest of foot bridges. They are made of wood, perhaps some bamboo. They may provide passage for just a few small submissive steps of dainty feet of a lady dressed in fine silk kimono, holding her parasol. They broadcast the sound of wooden shoes in an echo fashion throughout the garden. I pause to gaze into the waters and it rushes across the rocks. Bridges they represent significant moments in our lives. Bridges provide a path for one side to connect to the other. If there were no bridges people would not be able to connect to others on the other side. They connect people perhaps from very different lands. Standing on the opposite side of a body of water, one can see others looking back. The division inspires me to ask, who are they on the other side? What are they like? Are they nice? Evil? Dangerous? Should I trust them? Trust has become very hard for me in the past few years. When unscrupulous evil touched my life and that of my children.... it is hard to trust. Yet bridges, call for me to not stand separated, alone, unconnected. They teach me that while there is evil, there is also good people, lovely people. That I need to risk again, to trust again. Without trust, I know my peace, my tranquility in incomplete. My Loving Master exhorts me to trust.... it is hard. There are those that have crossed from their side to meet me half way, and a very few, I have too have met half way, and they have made me feel safe again. Bridges represent a lovely place for friends and yes enemies to meet and find a way to communicate. Bridges represent options as well. They represent a journey from one side to another. From the past to the future. We all have to make decisions to journey forward. We have to find a way to dismiss the past, having learned from it's experiences, and take new steps in our journey. In eastern thought, life is seen as a path, a journey or "a way" as it is known. We make choices in what way we will travel life. We can follow a path of destruction and sadness or one of life and happiness. Even though sadness may intersect our path of happiness, we still have to make a choice as to continue on in our path of life, or to take a turn and travel down the road of heartache. We choose everyday. Bridges attract love and lovers. Have you ever seen two people in love, standing on a bridge. I wonder why they do that? They stand, gazing at the lovely surroundings. So as we cross the bridges before us, we are inspired to cross it with love, with loving partners, but to cross it is the call. We must make a choice to head into the future or go back and be tied to the past.
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very functional.
I have seen how interesting and indeed lovely are the covered bridges
like the ones we see in the movie, "The Bridges of Madison County".
