River Story: Perspective + Power of Nature in the City
As a man in my 30s, living in the North Loop in Minneapolis, the concrete and brick of the city was all around me, I was evolving in my career, yet I was in a place of frustration. Not feeling respected, listened to; my ideas rejected.
Having these feelings bouncing around inside me as I walked down Washington Avenue with all its horns, sirens, cars and noise was not conducive to finding a solution.
I discovered the Plymouth Avenue bridge over the Mississippi and Boom Island Park with a stunning skyline view that is rarely depicted in postcard shots. What was more, this park is quiet and the tree-lined river created a cloud of green or red/yellow/orange that the skyline floated above. It is glorious.
The quiet trails, the views of two powerful life influences — nature and city — paired together in one place provided a place for me to go regularly to contemplate next steps in my life.
The river allowed me to experience a salutogenic process — the ability to comprehend, manage, and find meaning in areas of my life that were giving me stress and anxiety, and move through it to healing. I have always found my sacred/spiritual connections in the natural world. Nature pushes my mind to contemplate the larger questions and it helps re-center me in the context of time/space.
This spot is a hidden gem. It is less crowded than further downriver near the Stone Arch Bridge and Father Hennepin park, and you can get very close to the river — which is very hard along most of the Mississippi within the Minneapolis city limits.
by David Motzenbecker
(Photo by Tom Reiter)
The River Story Map
Created and coordinated by volunteer extraordinaire Michael Bischoff, the River Story Map kicks off FMR's silver anniversary year with 25+ stories of friendship with and connection to the metro Mississippi. These honest and personal reflections portray the river as a source of intrigue and adventure, a beloved date night venue, and even an unlikely partner in tales of loss and healing. We hope you enjoy them and consider adding your personal story of friendship with the Mississippi River.