There is a feeling of autumn grabbing a hold of me, earlier in the year than I am used to it. I feel like retreating into my shell for a while and reflecting on lots of things, and that goes with moments that lack inspiration. This feels like a time to think, not a time to create. I find such breaks immensely important, but they don’t necessarily go well with maintaining a blog.
I cannot go without a bridge pic in this post though – this old favourite is Stari Most in Mostar, Bosnia & Hercegovina – the bridge that inspired my blog’s name and theme.
Now, I still have loads of stories and thoughts to share that I have stocked up on over the summer for my weekly posts. But as I went through my photos, there was no bridge that inspired me enough to do my Sunday piece on this week.
Instead I remembered that I had seen on twitter this week that Istanbul’s slogan for their application to host the 2020 Olympics was „Bridge Together“, and I was once more reminded of the power of language and the power of the Bridge as a metaphor. And it made all the more sense to me that I was always meant to love Istanbul – as a city of bridging two continents together literally and metaphorically.
But there is more ways in which the bridge is present in our language. When there is need of calming down, of letting things come to you, we decide to „cross that bridge when we come to it.“ When we want to cut off all opportunities of going back, we say we are „burning bridges“. And there is the playful merging of the two that says „We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.“
Bridges thus seem to be an inherent part of the metaphor of the „path of life“. They hint at overcoming obstacles, but also at the fact that the road won’t always be the same and there are bound to be transitions. Whilst on a bridge, there might be a feeling of in-between. But only while on the bridge do you have a distanced outlook on the lands on both sides of the bridge. Maybe that is what my current autumnal need for solitude is for.
September 8, 2013 at 1:54 pm
I’ve always heard it, „we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it“, which just means we will worry about it when we get there. I do love bridges though and I’m so glad you’ve reminded me of it!
September 12, 2013 at 3:37 pm
🙂 Thanks Alex!! I think we all need reminding of the fact that bridges, transitions, are sometimes difficult to walk over / live through, but they are totally worth it 🙂
September 11, 2013 at 7:23 pm
Beautifully said. I feel like I’m on a bridge right now in my life and it’s taking a while to cross 😛
September 12, 2013 at 3:39 pm
That is perfectly fine, some bridges require lingering 🙂 I hope you get to the other side safely and a couple of experiences richer.
September 26, 2013 at 10:47 am
Hi,
Do you now what’s better than a bridge metaphor….. a bridge pun. I would tell you one now, but I have truss issues.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
September 29, 2013 at 8:29 pm
Haha, very good!! 🙂