“Apologies & Why I Used To Be Scared Of Bridges”
By Abe Nelson
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Hi everyone,
First off, I have to apologize to you for not finishing out the day with you Tuesday here on 9onyoursideblogs.com. As I mentioned in my last entry for the day, I was in the Forecast Center with Phillip & Gannon working on a special project that I hope will be headed your way this month on WNCT.com. Not ready to give it away just yet, but I think you all will be pleasently surprised.
For the record, Tuesday ended on an ok note. It got really busy there as we headed toward the Six o’clock broadcast. I had to finish the final chapter of Kara Lusk’s “Cold Case Tuesday” for the web. That went right up to the end of Dr. Phil and the credits rolling for our newscast. From that point, I was capturing, cutting, and uploading video for you to look at throughout the evening Tuesday.
So, as for the reason I used to be scared of bridges…
No doubt by now, most of you have seen the horrible tragedy that occurred in Minneapolis-St. Paul Wednesday evening. I caught the breaking news of the bridge collapse at the gym and was mesmerized by the coverage on CNN for the next hour or so. Even when I got home, that’s what I was watching all night alternating between CNN, Fox, and MSNBC. Like you, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people and families affected by this tragedy.
It reminded me why I used to be scared of bridges as a child too.
So picture it, Tampa-St. Pete, 19-something or another… I must have been 8 or so at the time. My family was on a summer vacation and we were visiting my mom’s sister who lived in the Clearwater area. While we were there, mom and Aunt Faye decided that we should pay a visit to my great-aunt Helen. I only had a vague recollection of great-aunt Helen as I had only seen her a couple of times as a child.
Visiting great-aunt Helen meant crossing the Skyway bridge. That wasn’t a very big deal for me until we actually got on the bridge. It was about that time that my mom’s sister Faye decided to relate the story of the Skyway bridge. You see, the bridge was under re-construction because a barge had slammed into it at the height of rush hour one foggy morning sending scores of people plummeting to their deaths.
I remember crawling into the floorboard of the car as we crossed the bridge. I was terrified to look over the seat or out the windows for fear that the bridge would collapse as we crossed.
For the longest time, crossing the high rise bridge at Emerald Isle when my mom and dad packed us up for a day at the beach was a frightful event.
I had a similar fear of rollercoasters due to a traumatic event my childhood, but that’s a story for another day.
I guess the point of this story is that the tragedy in Minneapolis-St. Paul reminded me of something I hadn’t thought of in a very long time. It also reminded me of someone I hadn’t thought of for a very long time.
Maybe this is a time to pause for a moment and remember those who’ve gone before us.
Thanks for reading my blog,
Geo
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