The river water was calm. The wind was quiet and still, as was her mood. She sat on the bridge, dangling her legs over the edge, her head resting on her left arm on the guardrail. She flicked pebbles into the dark water below with her right thumb, as if they were marbles. She wondered how many others had sat here. She wondered what thoughts might have gone through their heads. She wondered how many of them eventually got up and walked back to their lives.
She wondered how many of them jumped, and wished they hadn't.
Whoa how?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Mike meant "whoa" in a good way. I like your description of the bridge!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, thanks for your comment on my blog. We were probably living in Hollywood around the same time.
And I remember "Debbie Does Dallas".....
Topic of the day:
ReplyDeleteIs this a personal experience kind of thing or something that just came into your mind as you were driving over a bridge.
Discuss.
(I've always been curious about the creative process and where ideas come from - you can tell where mine come from. I'm very curious about yours.)
What a great question, Jean! In a small way it was kind of a personal experience. I was driving back home after a wonderful long weekend in Dallas with family, feeling a little blue that I couldn't stay longer, but happy for the time spent. I enjoy solo road trips in that I can wool gather and mind wander. I had pulled into a roadside to stretch my legs and this bridge idea just worked its way to the front of my mind. I got back in the car and wrote it then.
DeleteAs an aside, brought to mind by your last blog sentence, have you ever seen the movie "The Bridge"? Filmed over a year at the Golden Gate Bridge where they set up cameras that captured suicides, attempts, some rescues, had some interviews with relatives, etc. It was absolutely RIVETING. I couldn't tear my eyes away even though it was something I wouldn't normally watch (channel surfing does suck you into some things sometimes). Highly recommend it.
DeleteOf course I meant it as a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI knew. Thanks.
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