Bridge builders
Published Dec 7, 2007There’s a bridge for sale in a part of Crawford County known as the Driftless Area of southwest Wisconsin. Spanning the Kickapoo River as it meanders through the town of Soldiers Grove, the bridge—said to be close to 100 years old—hasn’t seen much traffic for the past 30 years or so.
It’s fallen into disrepair and village officials fear the creaky old wood and steel structure is near collapse, according to news reports.
But there’s some good news for folks who are looking for a bargain—the price of this bridge is just $1. An old bridge like the Kickapoo River bridge—all worn planks and rusty steel braces—might very well have inspired poets, artists, filmmakers and songwriters over the past century. And now, can you believe it? A bridge that once rumbled under the weight of cars filled with families heading to grandma’s farmhouse, hunters hauling deer, fishermen towing rowboats, people on horseback and kids on bicycles is waiting for someone to dismantle it and take it away for just a buck.
When you think about it, other than a rickety bridge in Wisconsin, there’s very little that any of us can buy for a dollar these days—certainly not a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, a pound of ground beef, a package of hot dogs, a box of cereal, a dozen eggs and more. So it’s easy to understand what a struggle it is for the poor to put a nutritious meal on the table every day, to say nothing of a Christmas dinner with all the pricey trimmings.
Here is where we have the chance to build a bridge of generosity and compassion, reaching across the chasm of despair that divides us from those who are economically challenged as winter rushes in and the holidays are at hand. Please find it in your heart to assist one of the Catholic Charities clients. Granting someone’s Christmas wish can only help to make you spiritually strong like the steel girders on a country bridge.