Bridges and Beauty
Taking things for granted is common for most of us. As we age, however, we tend to lessen that practice. The inculcation of “stopping to smell the roses” takes the stage of our thoughts more often. One is the presence of something that plays a pivotal role in the region in which we live. It is what was once described in the National Geographic Magazine as perhaps the most magnificent natural bay in the world. That is, of course, San Francisco Bay. It is also one of the most utilitarian. Being that it has always been there, it is often taken for granted. It is something that shouldn’t be done. It is a breathtaking place of significance and beauty.
When it comes to impacting our lives and governing our lifestyle, the bay is a place of royalty. It also defines our weather, as well as how we live and move about the region. It is a center of commerce and recreation. It is also a canvas upon which art has been created to enhance our ability to utilize it for our benefit. One of the foremost are the bridges that cross the bay. They facilitate our mobility, as well as harmonize our own humanization with that of nature.
Years ago, I read an article about a study that Rand McNally had done of identifiable places in the world. Among the top ten were the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, the Empire State Building in New York, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. What came in first? The Golden Gate Bridge! It was the most recognizable human creation in the world. It is not only a historic construction achievement. It is also a great work of art and beauty.
A man described by the New York Times as the greatest bridge architect in the world, Santiago Calatrava, once stated that there was only one truly great bridge in the world – the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the Mona Lisa of bridges. Another of our bridges – the Bay Bridge, is a healthy and beautiful sister to the Golden Gate. As works of art, it is probable that if Leonardo Da Vinci were to come alive today and visit, he might very well have the same view.
Then, on a final note, our own San Mateo-Hayward Bridge is not to be taken for granted either. When originally constructed in 1929 it was the longest bridge in the world. That title has long been transferred elsewhere (to China). The current bridge was completed in 1967. It is now the eighth longest bridge in the U.S. Its importance for our use is obvious.
Given this perspective, virtually every view of our bridges leaves me with appreciation for the role they play. They not only facilitate our movements around the Bay Area. They are works of art as well. The architects that designed them and the construction workers that built them never took them for granted. We should do the same. Think of them as our own masterpieces. When the fog hides their expressions, look for that “mystic smile” upon their faces. They are proud of their presence and participation in our lives. They bridge us and lift us in ways that are poetic in our own pursuits of having good and valued lives.