My husband were privileged to witness a special event in another family's life last night when we were sitting by the Mississippi River in our town. We have a wonderful flood wall that protects our downtown area and also gives those traveling along the river a backdrop to know where they are along the banks of the Mississippi.
Artists in our area have painted the gray concrete walls of the flood wall with colorful images of our town and surrounding areas. This has greatly improved the drabness of the gray concrete wall. Many people who do not like having a wall blocking their downtown view of the river have never experienced the horrible nature of flooding and so don't realize how much the wall is needed until the river rises and the gates must be closed to protect all the restaurants and shops along the riverbank. So the wall does an excellent job in keeping things safe. But years ago city officials realized the wall needed some aesthetic help and so enlisted the help of local artists to liven up the gray with colorful depictions of life along a river.
It's along this wall, on the river side that the name of our town is spelled out in huge fifteen to twenty foot mural letters. Inside each letter is a mural of things around downtown. So any boater, tugboat navigator or barge pusher knows exactly where he or she is because of this depiction.
Last night that we witnessed how helpful it was to a tugboat crew member. There was a family of four; mom, dad, their five year old son and the dad's mother all sitting on the bank watching downstream. That is nothing unusual because I always look up and downstream for a passing barge to be coming through. But they had a particular barge in mind. Grandpa was steaming up the river.
We could hear the excited chatter of the five year old boy as he repeatedly asked his dad if Grandpa was getting close. Patiently, Dad would explain that it would be a little bit yet. Grandma's phone soon buzzed and she began talking and looking in earnest downstream. "I think I can see you,"we heard her say.
Being nosy, I had to join in her search as a barge way down past the bridge was slowly edging into view. Oh wow, they are waiting for someone working on that barge. Sure enough as Grandma talked and the barge got closer she handed to phone to her son who described to his dad where they were sitting, right under a particular letter of the city name on the wall.
The barge got closer and the whole family walked closer to the river's edge, dad hanging on to the hand of his son, and they began waving. It was a beautiful moment and it struck me how lucky they were to be able to not only talk on the phone to their loved one but also get to wave and see him onboard the barge.
In the old days it would have meant a long several hours waiting to see a loved one on the deck of a slowly churning tugboat and not knowing exactly when they would come into view. With cell phone capability they could get in contact and figure out about when he would be at the city's riverfront. It was also a bittersweet moment because despite technology, they were still yards and yards apart, across the water with Grandpa moving slowly away from them again, not to be home for probably several days or even weeks.
It reminded me of how blessed we are to have technology, when a loved one lives thousands of miles away. It also reminds me of my several greats grandfather, who sailed across the ocean and up the very river I sat beside to begin a new life in this country. Unfortunately all they had were letters back then to send back and forth through the mail and that wasn't always a reliable way to communicate that you were safe and sound to loved ones. I feel very lucky at least I have a phone and can even see my family so far away in a moments notice. Modern technology helping with old hellos!
