Bridge Over Troubled Waters
In the early winter of 1970 Simon & Garfunkel were on the radio every day, mostly the song, Bridge over Troubled Waters. It was the first song I really every fell in love with. It was the first pop song I learned word for word. I was five years old and the words were easy for me to sort out. Now I never claimed to know what the true meaning of the words were. But I did have bridges that I could cross near my Limekiln Lake home.
I was identifying with this song because of the lyrics. I was feeling small in my world. And it seemed that I came to tears easily when I was that age and my friends were three miles away on most winter days. So the first few verses seemed like they were speaking directly to me.
Most mornings were the same in February as my father was up early making coffee for my mother in the clear glass percolator. I sat Indian style in a kitchen chair chomping on my oat meal while he dialed in the radio station. It was still dark out at seven in the morning and once again Bridge over Troubled Waters came on the radio following the weather.
Humming along into my oatmeal I watched as my father hovered over the toaster waiting for just the right moment to spring the toast free. He said he was going to go down to the lake and get his ladder and shovel he had left when shoveling some roofs and would I like to come along. I suddenly tuned out the radio and all my thoughts were squished into one. Go on an adventure with my father to find some tools that got left behind in the snow. I was just itchy with anticipation and just nodded my head up and down while moaning umhum.
After both getting dressed for the weather we went out to the garage and he suggested we take the snowmobile. I waited patiently while he pulled time and time again on the rubber handle cord until the snowmobile roared to life. This squatty yellow élan was then pulled out of the garage and while my father adjusted the skis I stood nibbling on the end of my mitten. Then he picked me up and swung me up over the seat.
The trip was not so long only about a mile round trip but it took us over the bridge at Limekiln Inlet. And as we slowly made our way on the narrow boards I peered in and saw those troubled winter waters just beyond the running board.
