City of Bridges

I was born and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. When I was visiting last summer I went for a run by the river, as I always do when I’m there and got my first daytime look at a new park-like area at one end of town that has a labyrinth, flower gardens and a stone walkway with granite tiles here and there inscribed with some of the history of Eau Claire. Though I’d never heard Eau Claire called the City of Bridges, I was both surprised and delighted by this discovery and the granite tile on which it was written.

Long before I saw the park I’d been planning to take pictures of this downtown area and especially the bridges that have continued to fascinate me throughout my life.

For as long as I can remember I have had dreams of bridges. As with most things that are part of the normal, everyday landscape of our lives, we often fail to recognize that which is directly in front of us. I moved away from Eau Claire when I was eighteen and didn’t visit often. In my twenties and thirties, my time there was spent with family and friends and I gave little thought to the place itself.

I was in my late thirties before I went for my first run along the river downtown and was astonished to see that there were bridges everywhere I looked. There were bridges of all shapes and sizes. The old wooden railroad bridge that no train had crossed in years, had broken and missing boards that made spaces I could see through as I ran across; newer modern bridges had replaced the originals I remember from my youth; a footbridge went from the upper to the lower campus of the University of Wisconsin. I counted seven bridges within the few miles I ran that day.

No wonder I dreamt of bridges as a kid. The first dream I remember was a bridge dream. In it, my whole family fell into a river of rushing black water as the bridge we were crossing in our car collapsed. Bridges were as much a part of my inner landscape as my outer.

Since my visit last summer I have felt drawn to explore and write about bridges and what they represent to me. For the last month or so this urge to delve into this subject has gained momentum and more pieces of the puzzle have come to light. We shall see where this journey takes me.

Until next time.

Jodi.