…And while the future’s there for anyone to change, still you know it’s seems
It would be easier sometimes to change the past.
—Jackson Browne
The kids’ school let out for summer break yesterday. I’ve been making lists of things I want to do with them over the next nine weeks. First on the list (since the pools and spray grounds aren’t open yet) was the pedestrian bridge at Oklahoma City’s Woodson Park. I thought they’d get a big kick out of crossing it and boy, was I was right. Crazy, too, because it scared me to death. All those cars whizzing by underneath me got my adrenaline pumping.
Don’t look down!
The bridge crosses I-44 and connects Woodson with some soccer and baseball fields. Sullivan wasn’t afraid to cross it at all, and Bridgette wasn’t half as scared as I was! They laughed and giggled and thought it was thrilling. I closed my eyes and white-knuckled the hand-rail from one side to another and back.
So, my plan is to document a mini summer adventure, The Footbridges of Oklahoma County. I’ve located six major pedestrian bridges in the region, and I want to take pictures of the kids crossing them all before the end of summer.
I’ve lived in Oklahoma City since I was 17. I’ve passed the footbridges over I-44 every week for more than 25 years. Every time I see them, I think of that day in Hacienda Heights when I was so afraid. I don’t like this memory. It stirs feelings in me that I associate with other unfortunate events. I want to forget it once and for all, and since I can’t, I want to confuse it with happy memories.
From now on, when I drive under the pedestrian bridge at I-44 and Woodson Park, I’ll hear the sound of Bridgy squealing with delight and remember Sully smiling big and saying, “I’m not scared at all.”
Robert and I recently explored this pedestrian bridge off I-35 near NE 4th Street and the Carverdale Neighborhood. It’s part of the trail system that runs along the east side of Oklahoma City.
As a child these things ALWAYS frightened me! I never went on one – funny huh? These days I cross one on my bike whenever my hubby and I go fro a bike ride, it delivers us to the other side of the freeway and into the beautiful arms of the bay where there is a gorgeous bike path for miles. Needless to say I am less leery of them now!
@GRANBEE – Thanks, Rose! It was exhilarating. Not necessarily in a I-want-to-do-it-again way! =)
@TERRITORY MOM – So, what did you do. I think collecting cow head is stepping out of the comfort zone. =)
@YOGI – The footbridges in Tulsa remind me a lot of the footbridges we had in California. I wonder if I could find the geocache on the bridge. That is soooo cool. I wish I would have seen it. I can’t imagine where it would be. Probably hanging from the caging? Someone was very brave.
Jen, what wonderful memories you now have of crossing that footbridge with your children. And how terriffic that you have a trail system in OKC that includes those bridges!
Great post! I think I will step out of my comfront zone today.
The pedestrian bridges across streets and freeways always seemed a little dangerous to me but you have lightened it up for me a little bit.
I looked on geocaching dot com and Woodson Park has six geocaches!! Three regular ones, a mystery cache, and two multi’s one of which is right on your pedestrian bridge.
If I have time, next time I’m in “The City”, I’m going to go find them.