I was away at a conference and as usual there was little time to explore where I was. So many rush off to the airport straight after the event has ended, or a session or two before the end. I discovered many years ago that sometimes I miss some of the best bits. Such as the summary and the pulling together what we have covered. Often some of the conversations with other attendees can be very helpful too. There are usually a few people where the flights don’t work and they have planned to stay over and catch their flight the following morning. Occasionally some have extended so they can see the city.
On this occasion I was scheduled to leave after lunch the following day so it was a good opportunity to unwind, enjoy the venue, and as it transpired, have drinks and dinner with a few very interesting people I knew, but in truth only very superficially, so a delight to get to know them so much better.
After an early breakfast most of the other people had left, so after being cooped up for a few days I wanted a good leg stretch and stiff walk to loosen myself up, enjoy some fresh sea air before the journey home.
It was bracing with a cold wind off the sea, as I was warmly dressed this did not both me. It was also one of those days where the sky was a cold steel grey with little warmth of colour or even the merest sun ray penetrating through. Yet it has attraction too and eventually a cool colour tinted the sky.
As I walked along the seafront I noticed, in the distance, a spit of land joined to the mainland by a bridge. I headed out in this direction hoping to go and see what was there. Twenty minutes later I was walking along a low bridge made of wood. It had a pedestrian walkway each side and a single track road in the centre, as the picture shows. There was little traffic but I would imagine in the summer it was very busy.
Whilst pleasant, the spit of land was devoid of many features, albeit I am sure it is a great place to watch the birds and other wildlife. There was a boat club, so sailing and other water sports were clearly an attraction too. On this cold day the only people making use of the facilities headed into the cafe to get out of the wind, which was now biting.
So all in all a very pleasant walk, even if no major ‘find’ was made.
Yet, as so often, when one has the opportunity of a little quiet and reflective time, thoughts do bubble to the surface from some deep part of memory. As I looked at the bridge, with eyes of remembrance, another wooden bridge I had crossed came to mind. That too was narrow enough for only one vehicle at a time. An additional feature of this remembered bridge was the rail track that ran down the centre of the ‘road’ – so the bridge could be used by car or train. Clearly this was never going to be a high speed train as there was no barrier to warn or stop a car from passing. It was a remote part of the South Island of New Zealand, more than 20 years earlier.
As I walked on I was musing over this happy memory, and the surprise on seeing the bridge back then. I am sure somewhere I have a photograph, and of the river it crossed. The memory brought with it the opportunity to think what had happened in the years since that first bridge was crossed.
Sticking with the bridge and using it as a metaphor, what other bridges have I successfully crossed since then? What bridges have I not been bold enough to cross? What new bridges would I like to cross?
I think the last question needs to cover a number of areas of life, if you, like me, choose only one area, say work, or travel, or home life, or hobbies, we can miss so much, so many opportunities. Sometimes a blend would take us over a completely different bridge.
And whilst not actually wading through the river it does remind me of the saying from Heraclitus, which I have slightly adjusted:
‘No person ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river nor are they the same person.’
So when I cross a ‘bridge’ for the second time will I have changed too?
Now that has struck a cord…..perhaps I need to get my journal and pen out and consider what bridges I would like to cross or recross.
How about you?
My best wishes,
Peter
