Rebuilding a Bridge

In a lapse of better judgment, I set fire to a bridge.

Ordinarily, I do use better judgment. I'm usually pretty diplomatic, reluctant to offend. But I do have my hot spots.


About a year ago, someone in a position of power found one such spot. The issue involved the well being of my daughter, as well as the workings of a bureaucratic organization, and neither one of us wanted to budge from our positions.

By the time everything was said and done (and plenty was said, and then it was definitely done), I'd lit the fire at the base of the bridge. Fortunately, I didn't blast it with enough ammunition to blow up the thing in a massive, irreparable explosion. But a small, smoldering fire can do enough damage.

A year later, it's become obvious that I need that bridge. It might be my last resort to get to the other side, where I want to be.

So I'm now trying to put out the fire before it's way too late. I'll play nice this time, but I still won't lose sight of why I need to cross that bridge. Certain things have to be in place. I know what's important, and I still need to insist on the important things, but this time I'll do it in a more cooperative manner.

And in the future, I'll think a little more about the consequences of burning a bridge I may later need to cross.