“I want to see bridges”

Written in June of 2007. Based on a true story.

I once passed an old man coming my way down an empty sidewalk. He paused as I approached, so I stopped and looked down into his eyes; I could see that he had known a hard life. He began to say something, almost hesitatingly; I could tell it was important to him so I bent a little lower to listen.

In a whisper he began to tell me of a time when there were no fences or walls, no borders or boundaries—a time when people had a fierce kind of freedom. I could not tell whether he spoke of a distant past or a hoped-for future, but I was certain that he was not talking about the present, for I had never known of such a thing.

As he finished his story he took my hand and asked my name. He introduced himself simply as Jack, and asked me if I knew the secret handshake. I replied that I did not, and he put his arms around me. That is the secret of those who see past all the artificial boundaries we erect between ourselves and our fellow man. The greatest differences between us are inside our heads. We spend so much time being afraid to die that we forget to live, so many years fearing heartbreak that we forget to love.

The old man and I began again to walk our separate ways down the lonely road. I heard his shuffling footsteps behind me stop as I turned the corner, and as I looked over my shoulder I heard him say to me, “I want to see bridges,” as if he expected me to bring such freedom into existence. I never saw that old man again, but I will not forget that day.