Like most who have ever called Minneapolis home, I too was fixated on the reporting of the bridge collapse -- thinking of people I knew then, and thinking of who still lives there. Here I was treated to the Australian take on the news of an event occurring in a place many non-Americans have never heard of (Prince and Mary Tyler Moore remain the likeliest human landmarks). Headlines here sometimes referred to it as the "Mississippi disaster" because international audiences know the river, but not the city -- and good on us, too -- being more familiar with a major waterway than a mid-sized metropolis. Fair enough.
Eschewing the obvious metaphor for a bridge-collapse as a relationship divider, I have heard from more lost-long city-mates in the past week than in the past 5 years. There's nothing like a disaster to bring out the old housemates, old friends, and old lovers... These humans remain landmarks, too. Personal reference points despite their changing landscapes.
The stylist who cut my hair today recognized my tell-tale accent and asked if I'd been to Minneapolis. She then drew a connection to last month's New York City steam explosion and concluded that the USA is falling apart.
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