When the light switch flips to the “on” position tonight a crowd will be watching.

But the special Mississippi River bridge lighting ceremony isn’t about the more than 400 lights or 400,000 feet of wire that will soon make our bridge glow.

The cake, punch, speakers and gathering are instead about our community.

The bridge is our focal point because of the important role it has played in tying the Miss to the Lou for the past 70 years.

When local, state and federal governments decided to bridge the Mississippi at Natchez, they changed this community’s life forever and for the better.

For so many of us, life isn’t life without our neighboring city. We traverse that bridge daily, we have friends on both sides and our livelihoods depend on the population next door.

So, obviously the bridge is worthy of our affection. But it’s not the steel and concrete that we love.

The community — residents in Adams County and Concordia Parish — is what makes our area truly shine.

The Miss-Lou Regionalism Steering Committee has seized a great opportunity to put a picture to their mission tonight.

This community grew because we bridged our gap physically. The next bridge must be more mental to ensure continued growth.