Bridge Between Worlds
Summary
A photo essay about the hidden beauty in my town.
This is the Covered Bridge. Photo by author.
You’ll hear lots of people say that there’s nothing to do in a small town. There aren’t as many big stores or chain restaurants, and many teenagers just end up hanging out at the library or at a gas station. While it’s true that our town isn’t a huge center for entertainment, there’s plenty of things around to do that not many pay attention to. One of these is the Covered Bridge.
The Covered Bridge has been a staple in my life for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, it was always an adventure walking across it with my mom. I would jump to see over the railing and look for the creek underneath and any other hidden beauties beneath the bridge. I liked to scour for caterpillars in the reeds in front of the bridge, hoping I’d find a fuzzy friend. As I grew up, it was still just as important. Now, I like to take walks through the trails nearby and watch the birds flitting around, or splash around in the creek with my friends. It’s always a journey underneath the bridge, no matter how many times I visit it.
It’s not just important to me, either. The Covered Bridge is used by almost everyone in the community for photo shoots, scenic walks, or a shortcut to the other part of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, though, that’s mostly it. Not many stop to appreciate the beauty hiding just beneath and around the bridge. Lots of people know about the river that runs under the bridge, but not many really look to see what’s there.
This is the beautiful creek and flowers under the bridge, along with the metal plank connecting the two sides. Photo by author.
Underneath the bridge is a whole hidden world with beautiful flowers and rushing water and trails that go all throughout the town. It’s so untouched, you often don’t even see litter there. I love going down there with my friends and walking along the creek and going across the precarious planks connecting one side of the creek to the other.
I often feel like I am the only one who knows about this place. No one tends to it, and it gets overgrown frequently, making it near impossible to reach the creek. Not many people visit it enough or even know it’s there, so it doesn’t get cleared often. There’s even a tree that fell during a storm a few months ago blocking the path, and no one has done anything about it. Although the tree isn’t hard to climb over and you can easily navigate through the tall grasses and plants, I think the fact that it looks like there is nothing there or is blocked off discourages a lot of people from checking out this hidden gem in our very own town.
During a storm a few months ago, this tree fell over the small path that leads underneath the bridge. Photo by author.
No one knows where these planks laid across the creek came from, but I know me and my friends use them all the time when we’re down there. You always feel like you’re about to slip at any moment with the plank tilting back and forth beneath you, but once you get to the other side, it’s worth it. Photo by author.
They were well traversed once. There are planks down there as I mentioned before, creating a thin balance beam to get to the other side of the creek. There is also graffiti underneath the bridge, but none of this has been changed or added to since I saw it for the first time.
Over the years, people have graffitied the underside of the bridge. There hasn’t been any new graffiti in years. Photo by author.
This is one of the walking paths surrounding and stemming from the Covered Bridge. Photo by author.
Lots of people I know walk the well-worn paths surrounding the Covered Bridge, but next to none ever follow the tiny trails stemming from them that lead to even more hidden wonderlands. And whenever I suggest these places to teenagers I know complaining about there being nothing in our small town, I’m met with frowns of confusion and “what are you talking about?” These natural wonderlands are far too hidden from the community built around them. I hope that someday, some other curious person will wander through the reeds and find the same secret world I know and love.
Comments
Post a commentWaunakee Community High School Advanced English 10 - 3B
Mrs. Swanhorst's Advanced English 10 students
Leora, I adore getting a peek into a hidden spot! Thank you for taking me here in your photo essay. The descriptive language in your writing brings your reader into the magic of this space - I felt like I was right there with you. Thanks for sharing this story!