Posts Tagged: the construction of I-75

“Regarding this Small Universe, the History of a Man-Made Lake, and My Brother”

On February 27, 2023 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“It’s a small world.” (Source unknown, but it is an old saying.)

My sweetheart and I went to a street party where we’re staying. We are on Kentucky Street here on the outskirts of Sarasota. Our place on Kentucky has a lovely view of a man-made lake called “Lake Ibis”. At our street party, one of the permanent residents named Larry gave a brief history of the lake.

There’s a lot I don’t know, but not much that doesn’t interest me, so I listened attentively. I had eaten too many snacks and figured that my ears could burn off most of the 2,000 or so calories I had just consumed in a matter of minutes.

Apparently, according to Larry, the dirt from where our lake is now was used in the construction of nearby I-75, which is less than a mile from Lake Ibis.. And that is when it hit me: My brother worked on a stretch of I-75 back in the 1950s. He moved dirt. In fact, one of my earliest childhood memories is visiting my brother, just up the road. It is entirely possible, I thought to myself, that my brother had something to do with moving the dirt from what is now “our lake” to I-75.

I suddenly felt closer to my brother than I had in a long time. He took his own life over ten years ago. I’ve struggled to forgive him for that. I struggle still.

. . .

Further research indicated that this section of I-75 wasn’t finished until long after the mid-1950s when we visited my brother. By the time Lake Ibis was being dug, my brother was helping to build rough highways through the Outback in Australia. (Yes, he did indeed live an adventuresome life!)

However, even though the facts didn’t line up with my original notion, the truth is that I still felt closer to my brother. I was able to grieve his loss and to move a little further along the long road of forgiveness. Sometimes, even false connections help us to connect. I also felt more lovingly connected to the lake itself.

I am not fond of the New Age Movement in some ways, but it gets at least one thing right: Everything in the world—and probably the universe—is connected. Honoring that connection is important. Dishonoring it is a slow death. Perhaps dishonoring that omni connection is itself a form of suicide.

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