Counting down to inaguration
By Eddy Seger
It’s been a while since we left the darkness of this past fall. The 200-day Facebook countdown to Election Day I posted unfortunately came with a pandemic of epic proportions, partisan rancor, meanness, recriminations, falsehoods, division, talk of enemies, demonization and despair. The promise of the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ kept many of us going. Emerging from that darkness has given us hope.
Looking to moving forward and assuming his role as the next president, Joe Biden said he wanted to be a bridge to the future. It struck a chord. Bridges are dreams made visible and concrete (literally, in some cases). They affirm the human capacity for innovation and ingenuity, the ability to make the most of a situation. They allow us to traverse obstacles with intelligence, imagination and — sometimes — style and aplomb. I thought, what better way to approach the future than by way of our bridges?
So, at seventy-one days to the inauguration, my friends (joining in with suggestions and contributions) and I started our journey on social media, our bridge countdown. We set out crossing bridges that spanned flood waters and angry seas, gentle tree-lined valleys and steamy jungles, ancient riverbeds and country streams (occasionally taking a dip). Our travels took us through England, China, Vietnam, Italy, Greece, and India; Mississippi, Tennessee, Kansas, California and New York; Sydney, Chicago, Philadelphia, Selma, and Dover. The bridges ranged from the simple to the complex: a stone or a couple pieces of rope, thousands of tons of steel, hanging, supported, straight, curved, looking like a small village, imitating a high-wire act. They run the gamut of human imagination – from a fallen log to huge hands holding a walkway, from a giant sundial to a dragon. Truly amazing!
We paired music with our crossings, ranging from Simon & Garfunkel to Massenet, John Denver to Debussy, Don McLean to Stravinsky and Bach. Along the way, we heard Vivaldi’s “Autumn,” “You Can Fly” from “Peter Pan,” “Dance of the Hours” by Ponchielli, “Greensleeves,” “Schindler’s List” and “We Shall Overcome.” Usually, the bridge and location inspired the music. Once, though, a vehicle the shape of a hot dog dictated the selection (cue commercial).
The journey has reaffirmed our faith in the creativity and ingenuity of people. Though recent events have caused us to alter our choices, we have persevered and will continue to believe there is a better way — a better bridge. We, too, can be a bridge.
Whether built of rope or steel, roots or concrete, stone or wood, a constant theme throughout our journey has been the resourcefulness, imagination and faith of the bridge-builders — the human element. Faced with obstacles and challenges, they found a way to move forward — through sweat and effort — together. They marshalled their talents and collective wisdom to give form to their dreams, to find a solution — to build a bridge. For its exquisite harmony, the twin-span Delaware Memorial Bridge earned the final spot on our journey.
With this rich well of human effort and achievement to draw from, how can we do less?
Celebrate the bridge-builders! Build a bridge. Be the bridge.
Eddy Seger was an art and drama teacher at Caesar Rodney High School for 22 years, modified its horse-and-rider logo in the mid-1980s and was given credit by the U.S. Mint for the Delaware quarter in 1999. He lives in Clayton.
