In a fascinating article, Olivia White notes how, “One year after the Brooklyn Bridge’s opening, New York City officials took P.T. Barnum up on his offer to put together a demonstration to show off the bridge’s inherent strength. On May 17, 1884, the world’s greatest showman herded up 21 elephants… from his circus and marched them across the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan.”
Why did this happen?
As White records, “When the bridge was first opened… on May 30, 1883, the city’s residents approached the bridge with a degree of skepticism that led to full-on hysteria. And the only thing that could assuage their fears came from an unlikely place: the circus.” The elephants weighed 10,000 pounds, and the public was convinced the bridge was safe.
Which got me to thinking how at times in our lives we all might need to be convinced a path forward is safe. Or, we might need to convince others to cross a “bridge.” The New York Times called the 21 elephant parade a “spectacle.” Our 21 elephants might be a long parade of research, testimony from those who have gone before us, YouTube videos, etc. The point is coming to that place where we trust the experience and views that await us is worth taking a step onto the bridge.
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