The blog is back, with a short lesson in symbolism

I know, you thought you were rid of "The Esplanade News" for good. Think again! After a summer hiatus, the blog is back. In the next few weeks you have much to look forward to on the blog. We will continue to bring you news and notes from around the building and the neighborhood. Ted Broussard has a food review which will be on the blog in the next couple days, describing his visit to the new local restaurant, "Wilder." And today, we're going to celebrate back-to-school season with a little lesson in symbolism.

Don't deny it. We've seen you sneaking onto the still-under-construction Prairie Line Trail, between the Children's Museum and the Art Museum. That's right, in the evenings and on the weekends, when the workers aren't around, we've seen many Esplanade residents walking the new pathway. It's a big improvement from how it used to be, isn't it?

But wait! What on earth is that? Is it... a giant concrete thumb? Is that... Art? Why yes it is, and to be perfectly honest, like many of you, were were quite taken aback at first. If you have not been sneaking about the construction site after hours, take a look at the picture below. You can see the sculpture taking shape: a giant concrete thumb and index finger, holding a steel train rail. Perplexing...

One might ask, "What is the meaning of this?" And after consulting a local English teacher, we think we have an explanation. First of all, one must be careful of trying to project too much rational thought onto a sculpture, or a piece of music, or a poem. Sometimes the art is just as much about the feelings or the mental images that it evokes as it is about any strict interpretation. So be careful about over-interpretation and just feel free to enjoy it for what it is.

That being said, we could not help but notice how the train rail is being grasped between the thumb and index finger. It looks like a needle. A needle which, in a bygone era, might have been used to stitch sailcloth. You know the history of our neighborhood - this is where the Northern Pacific Railroad first reached the ocean, where the continent was connected by rail, where the trains and the ships met for the first time. Knowing that bit of history one can see the significance of the sculpture - it represents both the "rails and sails." And sure enough, if one turns away from the sculpture, there is a poem painted on the highway support which - if you read closely enough - describes this very connection between "rails and sails." It's a train rail and a sail stitching needle.

I have to say, realizing this symbolism helped me appreciate the giant thumb a lot more. Well, the symbolism, and also this comment I overheard from a passing lady: "When they're finished, I'm going to bring my grandchildren here and tell them the rest of the giant's body is buried underground."

I'm glad to be back working on the blog, and as always, please feel free to email your pictures, notices, editorials, etc. for publication.