Post #25 – Women’s Memoirs, Writing Prompt – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
Written by: Promptly Portland
Everyday, on my way to work, I cross the Columbia River, which is also the border between Oregon and Washington. It’s quite an experience crossing the bridge: on a clear day, I not only get to gaze miles up and down the mighty river, I also get to see two majestic mountains–Mt. Saint Helens as I drive into Washington, Mt. Hood as I drive back into Oregon. I never tire of these sights.
The bridge also allows me to reflect on the symbolic meaning of transitioning. Bridges allow us to cross over into new and different areas, states, even countries. Imagine a world without bridges. All of those untraversable valleys and rivers would confine us. The new bridge between Sweden and Denmark, a majestic structure spanning the Oresund strait, has even changed the relationship between where people live and work. (Many Danes bought into the lower priced real estate in Sweden and now commute back to their jobs in Denmark.)
We also have periods in our lives that act as bridges, or transitions. They can be awkward. We use “bridge periods” to help us ease into new jobs, new locations, and relationships. Sometimes those bridges are friends that help us walk through difficulties or uncertainties. Equally importantly to me, our hopes, goals, values, and personal missions work as bridges: we know that even though we are moving into uncertainty, our integrity means that our future actions have meaning.
500 Words (or More) Writing Prompt:
1. Write 250 words about your favorite real bridge (mine is the Bixby Bridge in California between Carmel and Big Sur). Where is the bridge? What is its name? When did you first cross it? Who were you with? Did you cross it regularly or was it just a one time occurrence? Where were you going when you crossed the bridge? Why is this bridge important to you? Use this as an opportunity to work on your skills of description.
2. Write 250 words about a belief, goal, personal mission, value, or hope that has served as a bridge or transition in your life. You might want to include: what you were doing before this transition, was this a painful or joyful transition, ways you could have better prepared yourself for the transition, was this a voluntary or an enforced transition, etc.
Until next time,
-Promptly Portland
