acknowledgments

Although The Other Side of the Bridge is a work of fiction, it’s natural for a writer to stitch bits of real life into his or her narrative. In this case, it includes the adaptation of an experience related to me by an acquaintance whom I’d not seen in thirty-five years. As a young man, he shared with me a sliver of his own life that I’ve never forgotten. It seems that, as a teenager, he got the notion into his head that the day he would ride across the Golden Gate Bridge on his motorcycle would be the finest day of his life. He longed for it, lived for it, finally saved enough to buy a bike, and then headed west. When he arrived, instead of the day being sunny, warm, and wonderful, it was cold, rainy, and emotionally miserable. As I remember it, he’d just received word from home that a good friend had passed away. It meant that an experience he’d hoped would represent a pinnacle of satisfaction turned instead into heartache, sorrow, and tears—and yet it proved to be a critical turning point in his young life.

As I’ve thought about his experience over these many years, it’s helped me to deal with my own sorrows and disappointments—and I believe therein lies the lesson: Take time to interact and share with others. In our Facebook world, brimming with people who are starved for honest communication and contact, we may never know how our in-person words and kindness will touch another.

Deserved thanks for this story must also go to my wife, Alicyn. She loved this story every time I dug it out, dusted it off, and revised it. She continually encouraged me to do something with it, and for her perseverance, I’m sincerely grateful.

Information about the bridge was culled from several sources, the most important being The Gate: The True Story of the Design and Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, by John Van Der Zee. It’s a book I highly recommend. Thank you, Mr. Van Der Zee, for your fascinating work.

Thank you as well to the various editors whose technical expertise and insight always help to improve my writing. (There are many and you know who you are.)

I also owe a hearty thank you to Adam Rosales, an MLB player with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who graciously corrected my baseball dialogue. His foundation, Sandlot Nation, uses the love of baseball to teach youth about the importance of education, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Visit him online at SandlotNation.org.

Last, thanks must deservedly go to you, the reader, both individuals and book groups. Without you, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to write. You are truly my heroes for reading my books and then sharing them with others.