bridges

A nephew-in-law says—My brother has 2 Dobermans called Rolex and Timex. They are watch dogs.

Have you ever burnt a bridge?  Maybe you have really told someone what you really thought about them (i.e. let them have both barrels).  You really made it clear what you really thought in soooo many words.  You even put it on Facebook for the world to see and hear; you really wanted to show how important you were. Only later you wished you would have never done that.  It came back to haunt you; you can’t take it back and it has really hurt you (e.g. it is like you telling your wife/girl friend that she is ugly and then trying to tell her later that you didn’t mean it—ouchy ouchy). That bridge has been burned.  The fire has done its damage. 

Erin and Jimmer, our grandkids, were on vacation and saw this iconic bridge.  I asked them to each write something about it. Erin writes:  "Hello, my thoughts on the bridge was it was super cool to see how the perspective of the size changed with where we where. Like for example, when we were looking at it it doesn’t seem that far across but when you walk it its super far to get to even the first point." Jimmer writes:  San Francisco is really fun something about the Golden Gate bridge is it doesn’t look that big when you’re walking up to it but it is really big when you’re walking on it,

Sooooo I asked our other grandkids to write something about a bridge experience they had. Charlie writes:  "The Mississippi Bridge is the bridge that connects Iowa and Illinois together, that crosses the mississippi river and that brings the two states together. Illinois and Iowa can seem similar to people who have been to neither, and neither of the states are typically thought of outside of the states themselves. But in reality, they have different communities, different nature, and they are altogether different from each other in many, many ways. The mississippi bridge is what connects these two states and allows the flow of each culture to travel between the two states, and that is part of what makes them unique. The Mississippi Bridge represents unity and connection between similar yet different states." Rookie writes: I’m not doooooooooooonnnnneeee

Soooo, what bridge is happening in your life today?  Dr.J says—"All of us are tempted all the time, but not always at the same time, by the same things, or to the same degrees. Temptation is like a virus. It is always reinventing itself and mutating. It looks for our weaknesses. Some people reading these words are battling addiction to pornography. Others are seldom bothered by that, but they’re buying too many clothes, eating too many calories, or missing too many church services. Yet others are upright and faithful, but the joy is missing because of a bitter attitude toward something or someone!” I always think that self-evaluation of myself is hard; I wonder if I’m very objective!  Probably not! Ouchy ouchy!

I’m not an expert on military strategy but it seems that enemies are always trying to disrupt the supply lines in defeating their opponent. And the key many times is to destroy the bridges of the supply lines.  It used to be bridges over rivers and probably still is or maybe airfields. It seemed that in the movies they were always trying to protect the bridges.  They were very important.  Maybe that is an analogy for our lives.  What do you think?  That is what I thought.

OneSmartPerson described bridges this way—"Bridges: shaky, deteriorating, need reinforcement, rebuilding. Initially building bridges between people strong intentionally. Some bridges are simple and functional yet sturdy. Some are soaring masterpieces of engineering, some get you safely from place to place, some are covered bridges, some are 1 way bridges so you take turns crossing.” Now those words sure produce a lot of thoughts and have a lot of wisdom, now don’t they.  Probably each of us have different feelings pertaining to different situations and events in our lives.  Some memories of bridges are probably very good and some maybe not soooo good. Oh, those bridges.

The Great Story of the Wabasha Bridge.  We were going to see our Uncle Jim and Aunt Grace in Alma, WI and we had to cross the Mighty Mississippi River using the old bridge at Wabasha, MN.  My kid sister was maybe 5 soooo I was 9.  I started telling her early on our trip that the bridge was unsafe and I heard on the radio that it could collapse any day; it is a wonder that it has not collapsed yet.  If we survive falling into the Mississippi, then there are monsters in the river that like to eat little girls’ toes one by one.  It doesn’t look good for us.  Soooo we got to the river I told her, I hope we make it.  She laid on the  floor of the backseat as we crossed. I think she had to pee pretty bad. And I laughed my head off! What fun it was! For me!

I read while eating my oatmeal with half a banana on it this—Happily ever after starts now!  It’s not at some time or some place in the future (e.g. crossing some bridge to better times), no no, it starts right now.  Happiness is usually a decision, a decision that you are going to be happily ever after when you are satisfied with where you are and not where you are going to or or what you are going to get. Maybe just maybe we should take the advice of Paul who tells us that we should look out for the interests of others.  ItchieBitchie asks—How in the world will that make me happy? I don’t think ItchieBitchie gets it!

Soooo when we face a chasm in our travels, we usually find a bridge to cross it.  The bridge gives us passage from one side to the other. Sometimes it is the only way to get across that is accessible.  Sooo I am thinking how I and you and others get across the chasms of our personal lives (i.e. what bridge do we take or try to take). Oh, there are probably many bridges that we use I would guess. Like buying something new, sleeping, eating, some other addition, or maybe turn to God and have faith.  There are probably many methods that are tried. I recently read this in the paper, soooo it must be right:  

I don’t understand this. Help me here. If Ford or John Deere has a product that the public doesn’t understand/ or like and it hurts them in selling their product. What do they do—change it or explain it as fast as possible.  If this is the main reason that folks don’t believe in Christianity, why doesn’t the Christian Church address the situation and talk about it and explain it?  I don’t get it. It’s much more important than arguing who should take communion in each of the denotations. Now, that is my opinion and my opinion is not worth much. I’m just a little ol’ farm boy from a mile and quarter south of Roseland, MN. I still think we are missing the boat!

The old saying goes like this—We will cross that bridge when we get there. You remember the song Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel?  It was a song of my times. It’s a friendship/love song about being on your side and always being your friend.  My special friend sent it to me.  I hope all of you are such a friend to someone and have someone who is that special friend to you. I suggest you listen to it.  It’s good, my opinion. Soooo I called a friend the other day—I said—what are you up to—oh…, I just missed my exit on the interstate, now I have to go to the next exit, you ever do that erv—of course I have—I’m soooo discussed at myself, I need to figure out where I need to go, I’ll call you back. He needed a Friend Over Troubled Water! Soooo we met for breakfast at our usual spot each driving about 70 miles.  His wife is now in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's.  He asked me a ton of questions and shared his feelings and emotions.  I mainly listened. He concluded by reminding me what I told him several years ago—Mayo told Arlene and I when they diagnosed her with Alzheimer’s that two things would happen, she would get worse, and she would die. We had to cross those bridges when got there!

Coach B says—Don’t measure yourself against the past (i.e. a lot of water has gone under the bridge). You can’t do one thing about what happened yesterday. You can’t do anything what happened 10 minutes ago. You can’t change the past. The only thing you can do is measure where you are when you wake up and the progress you have made between when you wake up in the morning and when you go to sleep at night.”  Now that might be a bridge.  Maybe! It always made me laugh when in London using the underground transportation network their famous saying is—Mind the Gap — Sooooo folks, Mind the Gap! 

Jeanne says--"Have you ever thought about the trust we place in bridge builders? Do you feel safe crossing bridges? I like bridges… wooden ones that span a tumbling creek, swinging rope bridges, giant engineering marvels over deep chasms, short ones, long ones,  one-way bridges that require taking turns crossing….I like them all.

Bridges have a common purpose of getting us from where we’ve been to where we’re going. So, the concept of bridges is a helpful analogy to relationships. Building a bridge with someone requires tools of deep listening, encouraging, supporting, respecting, and time together. The process is exciting and fulfilling! If we cross a bridge that has not been maintained, it could be a disaster! In the same way, relationships need maintenance and some flex, so they don’t break. Maybe we can start  building a bridge with a family member, a new acquaintance, a colleague, a child, or someone who needs help."

A friend of a friend of a friend from Burnout, AL (i.e. soooo that pretty much makes it town gossip) said that her cousin has a senior friend from Gatorland, FL, billed as the Alligator Capital of the World, who was never loved by her previous husband and she never loved him and she doesn't love the man she has a long time relationship with now.  Such is life!  Sooooo I was walking on the golf course the other morning here in Butler County, IA and saw the tip of a golf ball buried in the ground in the rough (i.e. maybe 10% showing). It might have been in the dirt for a while. I dug it up, cleaned the major dirt off, and washed it in a ball washer. She was a brand-new, high-end ball that looked perfect (i.e. looked like she was never used, right out of the box).  All she just needed was some TLC.  She's now spankin' new!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean said—To get the full value of joy and love, you must have someone to divide it with.

BONUS COVERGE:

HOW IS NORMA?

A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph’s Hospital.
She timidly asked, "Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?"

The operator said, "I'll be glad to help, dear. What's the name and room number of the patient?"

The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said, "Norma Findlay, Room 302."
The operator replied,
"Let me put you on hold while I check with the nurse's station for that room."
After a few minutes, the operator returned to the phone and said,
"I have good news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing well.
Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back normal and
her physician, Doctor Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged tomorrow."
The grandmother said, "Thank you. That's wonderful. I was so worried.
God bless you for the good news."
The operator replied, "You're more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?"
The grandmother said, "No, I'm Norma Findlay in Room 302.
No one tells me shit."