Building Bridges Of Understanding

Connecting people to a safe place to dialogue through Perry’s book and appearances about relationships and friendships of every kind. Buy the book here!

An impactful poem from Perry's book that epitomizes The Bridge Project


Untitiled Poem by Will Allen Dromgole

An old man going on a lone highway

Came at the evening cold and gray.

To a chasm vast, and deep and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,

The sullen stream had no fears for him.

But he turned, when safe on the other side,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim, near,

You are wasting strength with building here;

Your journey will end with the ending day,

You never again must past this way.

You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

why build you a bridge at eventide?

The builder lifted his old gray head:

Good friend, in the path I have come, he said,

There followeth after me today,

a youth whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm that has been naught to me,

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.

Monday, December 28, 2009

WELCOME

Welcome to The Bridge Project: Building Bridges of Understanding

I released a book, What White People Want To Know About Black People But Are Afraid To Ask, in October of 2009. Since its release, I have received incredible feedback about how lives are being impacted. The four words that summarize the feedback are: laugh, cry, change, and learn.

Now, I am in the process of compiling inspirational stories, from people, that tear down walls and build bridges that bring about societal change. The Bridge Project was created to be a place to share stories and encourage those who are extending themselves, performing acts of courage, or simply serving others.

We are looking for any examples of people in athletics, entertainment, the workplace, the community and education, that inspire and uplift others. For example, my older brother, Eddie, who was born with Downs Syndrome, is a prime example. Eddie loved everyone and had a special way of bringing out the best in people; non-judgemental and always using a smile to brighten someone's day. His involvement in Special Olympics gave him confidence and insight that spilled over into the lives of others. The following paragraphs were extracted from the Special Olympics website and display what bridge building is all about.

Special Olympics Slovakia saw an opportunity to change attitudes when it started a Unified Sports® football (soccer) team, pairing up students from a special school and a mainstream school. Until then, students in the mainstream school ignored or were occasionally unkind to the students with intellectual disabilities. After the students played on the same team, everything changed. A teacher reported, "Now there is no teasing of special students on the street anymore. An understanding developed that there are no differences between the regular and the special students."

Special Olympics athlete Milan Palencar learned how to get along with people who are different. "What I like most about this team is that we are together - the boys from the regular school and we from the special school. We got to know each other and we became real friends."

Do you have an uplifting experience or idea you can share? Please relate your theme around honesty, hard work, perseverance, humility, courage, overcoming adversity, and bridge building.

Thank you in advance for your willingness to take the time to contribute to this inspiring project.
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