MayDay

May 4 2008

A New Bridge

Infrastructure
for the Future Beings

To all of you who planned, brainstormed, organized, fundraised, stuffed envelopes, gave money and/or supplies, sculpted, sewed, papier-mâchéd, stapled, built, painted, cooked, cleaned up, sang songs, played music, and danced: THANK YOU!

On August 1, 2007, we witnessed the fall of the 35W bridge.

During the profound Ecumenical Memorial Service for the 13 citizens who perished in the river, Hamdy El-Sawaf of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council of Minnesota offered these words:

“If a bridge made of iron, steel and concrete can fall down, then a human bridge of faith, trust, confidence and hope must be established.”

These words challenge us to receive the tragedy of the fallen bridge as an opportunity to consider the infrastructure we are building for the present and future beings.

Are we building toward depletion and collapse as consumers and conquerors, or are we building a path to sustainable, reciprocal harmony with the rest of the earth?

Let us turn together with trust, faith, joy and ingenuity toward the work of building a bridge for safe passage through our transition to a glorious, sustainable, healthy life for all the future beings.

Happy Mayday! Enjoy!

In The Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre
Creator and Producer of the MayDay Parade, Ceremony, and Festival

A bridge is essentially the part of the path (way, road, Tao) which is not easy. The bridge is there precisely because the going gets tough, because there is an obstacle to deal with. It could be said that the bridge is the most resource intensive part of the path, it is the most vulnerable, and it requires the most intention and investment.
-Reed Ellis Aubin, staff brainstorming notes

“If we will have the wisdom to survive, to stand like slow growing trees on a ruined place, renewing, enriching it... then a long time after we are dead the lives our lives prepare will live here.”   - Wendell Berry

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