Man on Wire

ByHeather

When I see three oranges, I juggle; when I see two towers, I walk.

— Philippe Petit

I watched the wonderful documentary Man on Wire last night. It is the inspiring story of Philippe Petit and his lifelong passion to walk a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. His dream began even before the towers were built and culminated in a 45 minute walk in the sky on August 7, 1974. The film is especially bittersweet with all of the behind-the-scenes details of the twin towers, knowing their ultimate fate.

Philippe’s quote above was in response to the incessant pleas by the press for an answer to “Why?” There is no why, he insisted. When he sees oranges, he juggles. When he sees two towers, he walks.

Over the summer I was mesmerized by Roz Savage’s amazing feat of rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii. In her thrice weekly podcast with Leo Laporte she was freqently pressed for an answer to Why? Despite her compelling commitment to bring attention to the the plight of the environment and her moving stories of abandoning management consulting for the open ocean, I suspect Roz’s real reason for first rowing the Atlantic, and now the Pacific, is closer to Philippe’s answer to Why? When she sees a plastic water bottle, she recycles. But when she sees an open ocean, she rows.

Similar Posts

  • Government

    ByHeather

    Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

    — Mark Twain

    As I watched the latest meltdown from the latest cabinet confirmations I can’t help but think that Mark Twain may have been on to something in his assessment of people who run for political office.

    It has been obvious to me for a long time that congress is broken. I couldn’t quite articulate exactly how I thought it was broken but I knew something was wrong. And then I discovered Lawrence Lessig’s latest mission. Partnering with Joe Trippi, he is determined to change congress. He makes a powerful case that lobbying and special interests have eroded the very foundations of the constitution.

  • Life’s Mission

    ByHeather

    Here is a test to find out whether your mission on earth is finished; if you’re alive, it isn’t.

    — Richard Bach, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

    I came to Richard Bach via Neil Diamond’s soundtrack to Jonathan Livingston Seagull. While the metaphors in Jonathan Livingston Seagull are rather obvious now, the wisdom and insights from Illusions remain much more subtle and lasting.

    Richard Bach was quite popular in the late 70’s and 80’s. Amazon calls him the Kahil Gibran of the Me! generation. I was in my twenties at the time and, like most people in that decade of their life, I had an overwhelming sense of calling. I had a deep sense that I was placed on this earth to complete a mission, to help people see themselves, and the world, in a fresh way.

    Much has transpired since those heady days of youth. I think I have helped many people along the way, albeit never in the grand style I envisioned in my twenties. Nevertheless, on a quite day, I can still hear that voice calling inside. Since I am very much alive again today, it is good to know that my mission is not yet complete.

  • Gadget Distraction

    ByHeather

    What’s happening here, now, isn’t as important to me as what could be happening anywhere else.

    — Renny Gleeson

    I watched Renny Gleeson in a brilliant, short Ted Talk this morning talk about the sneaky, anti-social behaviors we demonstrate with our smartphones. When I am sitting in a meeting, or at an event, and I can’t resist the urge to pull out my iPhone and check my email or peruse my Twitter updates, I am actually telling those around me that what is happening in the here and now is not as important as literally anything that could come across that tiny screen.

  • Steinbeck on Writing

    ByHeather

    I think there is only one book to a man. It is true that a man may change or be so warped that he becomes another man and has another book but I do not think that it is so with me.

    — John Steinbeck, Journals of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters

    East of Eden was the first book that I read by Steinbeck. It was moving and well written and rich with characters. Then I discovered Journals of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters and suddenly I felt I had been given a back stage pass to the mind of a writer.

    Steinbeck had already written Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939) when he set out to write East of Eden (1951). In the intervening years he lived through two divorces and served as a war correspondent. Despite the critical success of his earlier works, his standing as a major novelist had faded. As today’s quote reveals, Steinbeck also felt that he had not yet told the one story that was within him. His editor, Pascal Covici, did all that he could to encourage Steinbeck. Covici sent Steinbeck a number of notebooks and instructed Steinbeck to use them to write.

  • Be the Best of Whatever You Are

    ByHeather

    If you can’t be a pine at the top of the hill,
         Be a shrub in the valley – but be
    The best little shrub by the side of the hill;
         Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

    If you can’t be a bush, be a bit of grass,
         And some highway happier make;
    If you can’t be a muskie then just be a bass,
         But the liveliest bass in the lake!

    We can’t all be captains, some have to be crew,
         There’s something for all of us here;
    There’s work to be done, and we all have to do
         Our part in the way that’s sincere.

    If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail,
         If you can’t be the sun, be a star;
    It isn’t by size that you win or you fail,
         Be the best of whatever you are.

    — Douglas Mallock

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.