Topic: Choluteca Bridge - A metaphor for what can happen to us, our carrer and future (Read 587 times)

I always find it really interesting when people respond (genuinely) to the same story/stimulus in completely different ways.

For example, I find your perspective interesting on its own, but, also because I wouldn't have arrived at it by myself, not even if I sat and thought about it for a month... I literally have just two thoughts when I'm confronted with that same story you were, and if I try to pump my brain for more I get a 404:

(1) The Japanese obviously know a thing or two about structural engineering.

(2) That awesome bridge isn't the problem, it's all the other (badly-engineered) stuff that is.

always watching always everywhere

modern days they build up the banks for miles either way to stop the river from altering course. primarily to not allow rivers to flood nearby land. but also to keep the river going in one place

..
in africa they actually shift rivers alot to have water go in the direction of land they want water on.
its why some places in africa suddenly have no river near villages because agriculture diverts it upstream. making vilagers have to travel to other rivers to get water. which is invested with all the bad stuff that came off the farm land

yep oxfam will never explain that to you. when they do their water appeals saying how kids have to walk 5 hours for dirty water
they avoid the human caused reason..
(yep its not always climate change to make a river naturally divert. its human agriculture)

It is easier to make a boat lol

Maybe they should use some explosives to re-route the river back onto its old course.

pessimist: dont be the bridge
optimist: be the river

Life is not fair. Life is hard...

Sometimes we do everything the best we can, but things out of our control just fuck us.

I was thinking in a metaphor like:
Don't over specialize your profession,  so you may end up like that bridge.
Be more flexible and adaptable,  like the river. So when a storm hits you,you can change your way of life and survive.

metaphor for:
you may have worked perfectly for a year. but when your employer gets hit by a storm. he may realise he can go around you and not need you anymore

many businesses during covid lockdown realised they could survive with less staff. they realised the factories still run on skeleton crew and all the 'work from home' people were not logging in and active for 40 hours a day.

so yes expect things to hit you and expect twists and turns dont expect to have just made your place in a job and its yours for life

Choluteca Bridge was created to be able to withstand storms and huricanes which are common in North and South America, Huricane Mitch is atype which is very deadly, to the extent it affected many areas in the country (Hunduras) in which the bridge (Choluteca Bridge) was located, this rendered many people hopeless and over 7000 people were reportedly killed, it was a great hazard to the country at the time. The disaster started with hurican, then four days of rain falling which was said it is equivalent to six months rainfall in region, the hurricane during the period led to flooding which led to the disaster.

The most unbelievable thing that surprised me was the  Choluteca River that later diverted from flowing under the bridge, after the all hazard abated, the river was no more flowing under the bridge but beside the bridge which even makes the bridge not to serve its purpose again.

This tells us:
1. How a tree can not make up a forest
2. How we should think about our lives from the beginning to the end in a way not only us we enjoy life but also our generations to come
3. We should make people around us also strong, not demanding or ridiculing them, these people can be of greater help tomorrow to make you useful
4. How centralization of power should not be fully implemented, there should also be decentralized aspect.

Supposing, all houses, bridges, and all other buildings were as strong as the Choluteca Bridge, many lives if not all, will be saved.
The bridge which thought would was useful was no longer that useful because the river is not flowing under it again.

Summary:
Honduras wanted to build a bridge that could survive the most terrible hurricanes. It was build in 1996 by a Japonese firm.  It costed millions, was beatiful and was Choluteca pride and joy.




A few years later there was a terrible hurricane that destroyed everything in Hondures. All bridges in the country were destroyed but one, Choluteca Bridge.

However, all the roads leading to the bridge were also destroyed. Everything surround the bridge was destroyed. And the river was forced to move around, by the forces of nature, and it is now passing beside the old bridge (which is still intact, today).

What does this tell us about our careers? Our way of thinking?
I believe that this pandemic will forever change our lives. Are you ready for this new normal?

I received this image with this article: