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Thinking About "Bridges and Tunnels"

Writer's picture: Carol BlessingCarol Blessing

Updated: Jun 15, 2020

An Invitation from Carol Blessing


Last month, Seth Godin blogged a brief and (from my perspective), provocative piece.  He titled it Bridges and Tunnels.  It made me feel the need to sit still and ponder his writing and take immediate action at the very same time.  And then I read John’s blog on Cracks and Change and felt the same response.  In a way, the two pieces are companions – at least in my current frame of mind of trying to figure out how to best move forward while taking a stand. 

Here is Seth’s May 16 post.  See what you think:

Robert Moses, the road builder, understood that building tunnels takes just a little longer and costs just a little bit more.


And it turns out that bridges are monuments and create glory for those that find the resources to build them, there in the sky, for all to see.

Those are the two reasons why we end up with more bridges than tunnels. (Same is true with work culture and society at large).

But tunnels allow all sorts of productivity without calling attention to themselves or those that build them.  A tunnel creates progress without changing the landscape.  Many times, it’s an elegant solution to the problem for someone with the guts and fortitude to build one.

Less glory, more upside


I’d love to hear this raises questions and an interest for shared discussion in the Learning Marketplace for you. Some questions that spring to mind for me already are:


Is there a way in which a monumental bridge can serve tunnel-making?


In what way are we (Pathfinders) bridge builders or tunnel markers?  Or both? 


Is there value in building an underground inclusion movement to bypass the bridge and emerge with alternative pathways to community in place?


Is buildiing a bridge akin to building safe spaces whereas building a tunnel is akin to building brave spaces?  Or the opposite? 


Just curious to learn how Seth’s blog and/or Johns blog resonate with you and/or if anyone has an interest in moving this blog into a real time discussion. 


Contact me at:

Carol Blessing

cjb39@cornell.edu

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Carol Blessing
Carol Blessing
Jun 17, 2020

How to proceed with a conversation? Shoot me some days/times and we can schedule it in the Learning Marketplace -

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Lynda Kahn
Lynda Kahn
Jun 16, 2020

I would appreciate joining this conversation. I think there is a fascinating inter-relationship between bridges and tunnels as approaches and a framing. Could be an interesting opportunity to reflect on our own engagement in bridging and tunneling...


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beth gallagher
beth gallagher
Jun 13, 2020

I think that at the very least I feel like a tunnel(er) as a creator of a support system for others whether it be advocates, DSP's or others. Sifting and rooting around through the rocks and dirt stabilizing things to make it stronger for others to work from. This is a fascinating framework. It is also causing me pause. I would love to have a conversation about it.

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