In my hometown we have a bridge that seemingly goes nowhere, and so we call it the Bridge to Nowhere.
Possibilities are endless, choices are fathomless; we burn bridges and cross new ones. Each choice is like a bridge to somewhere. And the choices may be difficult: where to go to college, what to major in, what kind of friends to have, who to love, the person you will be. All of these are choices that will determine what kinds of bridges you will cross to the different places you will go.
Every now and again, when the future seems especially terrifying or when I’m drowning in rejections and disappointments, I think about the Bridge to Nowhere and remember the things that exist around it: the trees, the creek, the sky, the houses, even the people who’ve built their lives around such a structure.
I am reminded that even when we don’t make choices, even when life deals us situations that we don’t want or that we don’t think we deserve, even when we’re not moving forward, we’re still alive. Sometimes it is in these situations that we learn about ourselves and the people around us. We learn that there are people who are willing to build their lives around us, to protect us, to believe in us.
So, while the choices may seem difficult or impossible, or even if it feels like there are no choices to be had, I hope you’ll imagine the many bridges that populate your town or your city or even your mind. I hope you will think of taking them somewhere, even if it isn’t far.
Most of all, I hope that you’ll understand that we all have the power to choose. Even when your choices are painful, disappointing, or seemingly nonexistent, I hope you will see that when you choose to be an active participant in this world, you are choosing to live your own life. And maybe, that is the best choice of all.