The Mighty Golden Gate.

Today I went down to the Marin Headlands to photograph the mighty Golden Gate Bridge. I spent an hour or so, through my camera viewfinder, meditating upon the bridge's burnt orange color, its' suspension, its' grace, the bay on the East side, the Pacific Ocean to the West. What a truly powerful American icon. It also has a deep, personal meaning to me. After getting my bachelor's degree, I headed West from New York, with "somewhat" of a purpose and a heck of a lot of youthfulness. I was determined to make my life in the Bay Area; a place of extraordinary beauty in its' natural surroundings. After more than two decades, I've managed to stay out here. It's been an economic struggle, as the cost of living is extraordinarily high, and it's been a great weight to "bridge" all my family ties back East. The Golden Gate Bridge is a symbol of perseverance for my husband and me; as individuals and as a team. Here, I went from "me" to "we."

The Golden Gate Bridge, built in 1937, is one of the most important landmarks to San Francisco, to California, and to the United States. (I remember after 9/11, the bridge was flooded with Coast Guard patrol. It was under 24-hour, constant surveillance by helicopter, soldier, camera. It was thought to be the next target.) Structurally, as a suspension bridge, it's almost two miles long. To walk it, is to experience a powerfully fierce, but cleansing wind, like no other. Walk it, ride it- it's a pedestrian and bike-friendly experience, unlike many of the iconic bridges around the nation. So it's a shared, public space, let's call it a commons.

My "imaginative bridge" for this post marries this landmark bridge to our classrooms. My "bridge" connects the Golden Gate Bridge to our classrooms because both serve as a commons. A shared space, "collectively owned." Each day, we teach in classrooms that offer our children sacred places, and shared spaces with moving purpose. As educators, we share and "own" these spaces with our students, as we work towards solutions.  It's quite like our iconic Golden Gate!