"...Mortenson arrived at Korphe on a Friday afternoon. Walking over the new bridge to the village, Mortenson was surprised to see a dozen Korphe women strolling toward him. . .They bowed to him in welcome, before hurrying on to visit their families in neighboring village for Juma, the holy day. 'Now that they could be back in the same afternoon [because of the new bridge], Korphe's women started regular Friday visits to their families,' Mortenson explains. 'The bridge strengthened the village's maternal ties, and made the women feel a whole lot happier and less isolated. Who knew that something as simple as a bridge could empower women?'"1
This last sentence got me thinking quite a bit, particularly about the metaphorical and physical bridges that have empowered me (and women in general). Having recently started to work again, I feel invigorated because I can cross the metaphorical bridge between my community and home almost each day. I feel like I'm contributing something useful and meaningful to the community. And, like the women of Korphe, I don't feel isolated because of this bridge. (On a side note, my bridge also happens to be a physical one, since I have to cross Lake Washington to get to work. You can see the floating bridge of I-90 in the photo of Sam and J (shown below).) Like the women of Korphe, I feel empowered and happy because I have the opportunity to cross a bridge.
I know there are a lot of metaphorical bridges which have been built for women over the recent centuries. I wouldn't be able to cross my bridge if it wasn't for the bridges that were built beforehand. What bridges hold significance for you? What metaphorical and physical bridges have empowered your life?1 Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, Three Cups of Tea (New York: Penguin Group, 2006), 147.
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2 comments:
I've wanted to read that book for a long time. I've heard it is really wonderful.
I also really appreciate that you'd write on such a subject: bridges that physically or metaphorically affected each of us.
The bridge that comes to mind that has helped me is: women like my mother who, despite popular LDS culture, held a job outside of our home.
I grew up in Provo, Utah. The heart of all things "Mormon culture". I was the only kid in my ward growing up who had a mom that had a job. Granted, my mom initially began working due to economic needs, but after a while, I know she absolutely loved it and did it because of the satisfaction it gave her. I'm grateful that I grew up in a progressive home (for Provo that is) where women were shown to be able to love and nurture their children, but also have outside interests.
I think growing up with a woman who built such a bridge before me has benefited me so much. I think about how many girls in the church grow up saying that all they've ever dreamt about and wanted to be, was a wife and stay-at-home mother, then -- for some of them -- those dreams are never fulfilled. Maybe they never marry, or they have to work, or they end up divorced, etc. I often wonder how many of them are absolutely devastated that their "dream" didn't turn out the way it planned. I feel fortunate because I was always encouraged to get an education, to get a good job, to have interests. My identity -- who I am as a person -- was never built upon whether I got to stay home and clean the house.
Now, that's not to say that there isn't merit to staying home (if people want to do that, it is fine), I'm just grateful that I was shown there's more than one path and the other path is good, too.
Plus, since it is pretty set in stone that I'll never marry, my entire worth hasn't been utterly destroyed by not obtaining what was the "ideal" situation in the LDS community for so long.
Thanks for your comment, e! It's interesting to think about how your mother has been a metaphorical bridge for your own life. I was thinking about different opportunities or events as metaphorical bridges, but I really like the thought that a person can also be an "empowering bridge." What a great comparison.
It sounds like your mom had such am amazing and positive impact on your life. She sounds like an incredible woman.
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