G
Once upon a
medieval time, town gates served as indispensable
defense systems. In some ways, I suppose they still do. For instance, retirement
communities, amusement parks, and schools want to keep those inside safe, while
Zoos and prisons aim to protect the unconfined. There too, is the matter of
safeguarding livelihood such as livestock or heartstrings such as pets.
There was a
(very) brief time in my life when I did what I swore I’d never do. I got hooked
on a soap opera. Listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running
American soap opera in production, General Hospital
happened to air each day at my daughter’s naptime. Does anyone out there
remember “supercouple” Luke and Laura, whose 1981 wedding became the highest-rated
hour in American soap opera history?
The
ground-breaking ceremony of the Golden Gate Bridge in
1933 was a grand affair that included a parade and a 21-gun salute. Safety is foremost on any big construction
job, and the building of the GGB was no exception. No expense was spared on
safety precautions or equipment. For
example, a net such as used under circus trapeze was stretched beneath the
bridgework giving workers a sense of security that seemed to aid the speed of
construction and was credited with saving the lives of 19 men. The project also
withstood an earthquake in 1935. One worker described being a little green
around gills, having been trapped on top of the south 746-foot tower with 12
others as it swayed 16 feet each way from the ocean and back to the bay. In
fact, up until it was nearly complete, the project had been fatality-free. But
just months before its grand opening, a worker was killed by a falling derrick.
A couple of weeks later, scaffolding collapsed, tearing the net and plunging ten
workers 220 feet into the icy channel below.
Arguably the most photographed suspension bridge in the world, it held
the honor of being the longest until 1964. The lucky one-billionth driver to
cross the Golden Gate Bridge received a hardhat and a case of champagne in
1985. As a nervous passenger, once, I could not bring myself to open my eyes all the
way across ;-)
Hi, diedre!
ReplyDeleteHappy "G" day to you, dear friend!
Your use of the word "gate" reminds me of the word "gateway" meaning something that leads to something else. As you noticed in my current post, Joyce Martin asserted that bubblegum chewing is the gateway to marijuana addiction. :)
Of course I remember when GH exploded in popularity in the early 80s thanks to the Luke and Laura story line. I started watching the daytime drama years before that when the principal characters were Dr. Steve Hardy, played by former major league baseball player John Beradino, nurse Jessie Brewer played by Emily McLaughlin and Audrey March, a stewardess who came to Port Charles and won Steve's heart. Audrey was played by Rachel Ames who will turn age 91 this year. John and Emily are both deceased. One of the other main characters, Bobbie Spencer, was played by Jackie Zeman who was the wife of Murray Kaufman aka rock & roll impresario and DJ Murray the K. It's hard to believe that child character Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough) is now 42 years old. Other favorites from GH's golden years of the 80s include Tristan Rogers as Robert Scorpio and Emma Samms as Holly Sutton-Scorpio. In 2011 and 2012, Genie Francis had a major role on The Young And The Restless, the soap I watched most regularly.
Mrs. Shady does not like to cross long, high bridges. Not far from where we live is the Sunshine Skyway which in 1980 was rammed by a freighter and collapsed, sending vehicles into the Gulf and resulting in 35 deaths. It's ironic that all those safety measures were implemented during work on the Golden Gate Bridge only to have it used as a platform from which to commit suicide. 1,400 people jumped to their deaths in a 75 year period. Suicide netting is scheduled to be installed on the span by next year at a cost of $211 million.
Have a good day, dear friend diedre, and stay well!
Hi Diedre - I definitely don't get drawn into serials ... though might I suppose if I'd had children and it was their nap time. I walked half across the Humber - and that was frightening enough ...
ReplyDeleteTake care - too many gated communities - because too many gangsters on the other side ... all the best - Hilary