Thursday, January 07, 2010

Women of a Broken Bridge ~ Part One

I arrived at work today just in time to see a young adult woman walking across our broken and boarded up bridge. She was half-way across when she saw me seeing her, at which time she paused as if she was deciding what to do. You want to know what she did? She kept on going. Even after I got out of my car and looked directly at her she continued, determined to finish what she started.

On the other side of the bridge was another young woman, most likely a friend who also saw me and was a bit more reluctant to ignore the signs forbidding her to cross the bridge. I even heard her say she was going to walk back around the way she had come. However, with a bit of prodding from the one who'd already accomplished the forbidden feat, she too, made her way tentatively across, arriving with obvious relief and perhaps a bit of embarrassment because by now she is aware that I am staff and she has been seen doing something wrong.

I waited patiently by my car for them to come closer so I could tell them to avoid the area on any potential future jaunts around the lower lake. But before I got the chance I heard the one who had crossed first, say something like this, "You have to know the rules so that you can know which rules are to be broken and if you don't know the rules you won't ever really know the ones that are okay to break..." all this was said without taking a breath along with some other such nonsense and all without once looking in my direction.

By now, I'm basically walking along beside them as I make my way to my office and I ask her this question, "Do you really believe all that you are saying?"

To which she replied, "Absolutely", and then proceeded to restate the previous gibberish.

Her friend was in total disagreement and I asked another question, "How is that working for you so far in life?"

Her answer was, "Fine."

All the while her partner in crime is making comments to the contrary and it's obvious she isn't okay with what just happened.

Anyway, my mind is searching for something profound to say to her and all that came out was, "I'd love to know how that works when you have kids."

Her final response, "I do have kids."

By now we have reached the sidewalk to my office. (The whole conversation took place while we were sort of strolling along together in that direction.) We parted, and they went on to the auditorium with their Bibles tucked safely and securely under their arms.

...to be continued

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