Tourist attractions are found all over the world, from the Taj Mahal to the world's largest ball of yarn. Some are made for the purpose of being a landmark, such as the human-made Mount Rushmore, while others arise from nature, like the Great Barrier Reef. Others, however, are put on this earth from random acts and the sheer creativity of the human mind. Attractions like these include the Gum Wall in Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA, and the bridge of love locks on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, France.
For those who are unaware, the Gum Wall is exactly what it sounds like: a wall in an alley by the Market Theatre covered in gum. In the early 1990's, people who went to the Market Theatre began sticking gum to the wall and sometimes placing coins on the gum. The wall was scraped off twice for the next few years, as the theatre did not want the gum there, though residents continued to keep the tradition. It was last fully cleansed in 1995, and was actually titled a tourist attraction a few years later. Since then, the gum wall has grown to be a major landmark in the pacific northwest, being in the top five grossest tourist attractions in the world. I myself have placed multiple pieces of gum to this wall, and a few coins too. Without a doubt, my pieces must be covered in layers by now, as it has been over a decade since I last visited the gum wall.
The bridge of locks, too, is what it sounds like. At the Pont des Arts bridge, tourists began to attach locks on the railing or grate with their names or initials on them in the late 2000s, proceeding to throw the keys into the river. This was meant as a romantic gesture, thus they were called the "love locks." This act, though not seen as disgusting as the gum wall, did also cause city workers to cut locks off a couple of times. Instead of gum stuck to gum though, there were locks locked to locks. However, the bridge of locks has also become quite the landmark for tourists who are visiting Paris (Eiffel Tower? What?). I have never visited the bridge of locks, but I doubt I could get a lock on somewhere, with the plethora already attached.
The other thing that connects these two attractions besides the random creativity that initiated their existence is that they are both gone now. In 2015, both cities decided that they needed to be taken down. In Paris, the locks were physically breaking the bridge, weighing it down and causing structural problems. This concern for the bridge has been going on for about a year, and the city has tried to stop the large number of locks being attached by recommending people take selfies instead. In June, all locks were cut off of the bridge. In Seattle, the sugar from the gum was beginning to erode the bricks on the wall. This was the first total clean in 20 years, which is my age, and close to the age of many college readers. In November, all the gum was power washed off the wall.
The coinciding of these two landmarks being taken down is, though sound for the cities, a tragedy. I have never been to the bridge of locks, but there is a reason that so many locks have been attached. It means something, it holds something special, it is a physical representation of love forever. So much affection is put in this attraction, so many memories and promises made. To have your tangible show of love be cut off or taken down can cause strong emotions. All those keys flowing through the Seine river no longer have a purpose. Though the tradition has not been here for long, it is still a devastating loss to those who have participated to know that the bridge of locks is no more.
I have been to the gum wall, and as a previous resident of the Seattle area, I am in awe at this loss. Over a ton of gum was in that alleyway, with over a generation of people participating in this creative work of art. Though it is not an act of love as much, it has been here for longer. There are so many memories, stories, adventures in each piece of gum. The wall has been there for my entire life, and now all those little remnants of every person who visited is gone. It's not a symbol of love or an everlasting emotion, but every piece still holds meaning. And to know that all those signs that millions of people had been there is now gone is and incredible loss.
For both of these landmarks, the loss is definite. It's not just something one person created, or nature made, each attraction had millions of people participate and make them what they are. There were lives, stories, memories, loves, in every lock, every piece of gum, and all of them are gone. Those first pieces, those first locks, what started the traditions and helped create these works of human wonder and art, are gone.
One thing can be the said, though, the human spirit is not a restful one. It will not be kept down. The loss of these landmarks is not forever, and people will make sure of that. Already, gum has begun to fill the walls again, with the first new ones being for the attacks in Paris that happened earlier this school year. And to keep the idea of the padlocks alive as well, Paris has replaced the grating with graffiti that is lock themed.
The physical signs of tradition, of the millions of people that were there, of the masses that worked together to create enormous works of emotion and art, may no longer be, but they will still live on. There is a loss, and it will be felt. But that does not mean that it has to end. The love locks are are cut off, but the love is not gone. The gum is washed away, but the adhesiveness of humanity is still there. New gum will be added, new signs of love will be made, and nothing can stop that. Yes, we just lost two incredible feats of human creativity, and that loss is real and will be felt. But what will also be felt is how people will not rest until they can do more. Add more gum, show more love, create again.
We just said goodbye to two beautiful attractions. Goodbye to the bridge of locks. Goodbye to the gum wall.
But hello to what will be next.
