Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller
Part 6 Faith: Riding the World’s Longest Escalator
I’ve been privileged to see so much of the world, and I’ve never seen a city more beautiful at night than Hong Kong. The view from across Victoria Bay is stunning.
When I visited twenty years ago, five of the world’s top 10 tallest buildings were on Hong Kong Island.
However, the skyline wasn’t the only thing I wanted to see.
I wanted to ride the world’s longest escalator in Hong Kong.
It was easy to find. Hong Kong sits on a steep series of hills. That escalator is how riders make their the city.
I stepped onto the long escalator going up. I craned to see the top, but all I saw was a crowd going up.
I thought: Now I’m on the world’s longest escalator, how in the heck am I going to get off?
After a steep slow climb of about five minutes, we came to a platform. The world’s longest escalator isn’t one. It has fifteen levels on where you can get on and off.
Sadly, I’ve read that Hong Kong’s record of buildings and escalators has all fallen victim to mainland China and the Arab Emirates (“Everything’’s bigger in Shangai” and “Everything’s taller in Dubai.” Even proud Texas has slinked back from its trademark claim of bigger and better.
It’s now May 2024.
The Hong Kong escalator came to mind as my granddaughter Emma Iles and I rode the steep subway from the bowels of Boston to terra firma on solid ground.
My sixth and final lesson on escalators came to mind: if you’re going on an unknown journey, it’s good to have a partner.
Don’t do it alone.
It comforted me to stand on the same step as my granddaughter, who has grown nearly as tall as I am. Of course, it comforts me to do anything with my nine grandchildren.
As each of them makes their (so quickly) journey upwards, I’m so happy to be riding this leg beside them.
The season is coming when they will step off the stairs at one of the platforms to continue their journey on their own.
Maybe that’s why I’m squeezing Emma’s hand so tight. It’s also why I force a man/bearhug on all of my teen grandsons.
I know that the escalator is moving quickly onward and upward.
Soon, it’ll be just DeDe and me riding up the world’s tallest escalator.
In the meantime, I’m going to make every step count as I pour my life into theirs.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our six-part series on Faith and Escalators. It’s been moving to share each episode.
You can view all six “Escalator Faith” blog posts at www.creekbank.net.
Always looking up,
Curt Iles
