"Who's Tripping Over My Bridge?"

credit: bcfamily.ca

As the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff goes, the ugly, foul-smelling, loudmouthed troll appeared from the depths of the bridge each time he heard trip-trip-tripping from above.  He bellowed, "Who's tripping over my bridge?" then threatened to eat each member of the goat family, who were innocently headed to the other side to eat grass. Being the ill-mannered fellow that he was, the troll never thought to invite The Gruffs below for a neighborly cup of tea, so readers can only imagine what his under-the-bridge home was like.  I picture swampy, cramped, littered with bones, infested with flies, and dark. . except for a flatscreen TV hanging on the wall above his unmade bed.

So, when I decided to change my morning exercise route from across to under the Brooklyn Bridge,  I did so with a healthy dose of caution.  What if even world-renowned bridges had their own trolls lurking in similarly inhospitable habitats?  Curiosity propelled me forward. . . and downward.

Gargantuan stone bases greeted me, rising from East River bedrock, effortlessly supporting tons of traffic and pedestrians on their shoulders.

The rising sun revealed a world of thriving activity along an inviting pathway stretching from the foot of the Brooklyn to the Manhattan Bridges and beyond in both directions.

People moved singly, in pairs, in groups, soaking in the morning's energy.





  

A fisherman waited patiently for his breakfast, or lunch, depending on his fortune.

Sea gulls gathered, perching as peacefully as doves, deep in meditation.

I come back morning after morning to find a community welcoming the day with a gentleness and a tranquility that nurtures me as I pass by.

Perhaps that's why the troll so rudely tried to eliminate the foot traffic over his bridge.  Why take a chance that those goats would discover the secret beauty underneath.  Any Brooklyn Bridge trolls with similar aspirations are long gone, their secrets discovered and enjoyed by many, including myself.

Please, come join us, and get there early!