(I had a dream about walking on a tight rope once, I don’t know if I’ve heard something like this in the past, or how much of it is my own creation… a Google revealed nothing to me… Once upon a time I started writing a short story about “the walker”, but to date, haven’t finished… I know that many people think that metaphors are one of the worst forms of both literary and intellectual expression, to those people, I say BOO ON YOU! If I have one thing in mind with this idea, it’s to try and get someone to think who, what or where they are in this “walk”…



He had traveled the world to put himself to the test. Most often he succeeded, he held onto his failures like others hold onto hope… He wasn’t the world’s most famous tight rope walker; though he did have his moments. He had set unimaginable records, whenever someone told him a walk couldn’t be done, he had to prove them wrong. He made it his moment to moment mission in life to make the impossible… possible… He would always jokingly comment before getting on the tightrope, that he was just, “Going for a walk”,

He loved his life, he loved his family and friends, however, all of his passion was with the wire… With all of his success and all of his accomplishments he still felt the need to better himself and find more challenging walks.
In this search he did find a single incident that forever changed his viewpoint, when his ambitions did, at least, momentarily, exceed his talents…

Once again everyone told him this particular stunt was impossible and that he was a fool for even attempting such a feat. He prepared tirelessly, refused both food and sleep. Upon the day of the feat, high winds and low visibility virtually assured everyone in attendance that the stunt wasn’t going to happen. Not to mention the walk was nearly three times the length of the current world record for distance at that height. The tight rope walker didn’t listen to his counsel and announced that the walk would go on … as planned...

About 50 paces before completion a powerful gust of wind and a wet line caused the walker to fall approximately 380 feet into a waterfall and river that was scattered with rock and tremendous swirling current. The walker surfaced about a mile downstream, he had survived. His injuries included two horrifically broken legs, a broken back and a shattered jaw which required his mouth to be wired shut for 9 months, during which time he was unable to speak. He lay in a bed at a hospital in Peru for nearly 16 months…. After the painful wiring was removed from his jaw, he still needed a few more months to learn to speak again. Nearly a year to the day after his fall he was able to put together this request. “Please, get me to my feet”…

Another year later he did that very thing, he barely spoke during his rehabilitation, when he did he only spoke of “What could have possibly gone wrong”? “How did this happen”, Why did this happen to me” et al…However his eyes grew brighter with every day he gained strength… His family and friends surrounded him with love and kindness. He came to realize that when he was on the wire, his family shared in his excitement, thrill, and love. Of course, his family suffered with him as he continued to suffer, throughout his recovery... Nevertheless, he realized he wasn’t alone, and that he’d never been alone…

Eventually, he no longer questioned the why, what, or how of that day… He only wanted to return to the cliff from which he fell, 400 miles north of Lima… Most thought he only wanted to return to reflect on the tragic event that transpired… Once he started assembling materials and a crew to set up for another attempt at a crossing of these great falls everyone assumed him mad … He assured his family and friends that he was perfectly sane and wanted to do this more than anything else in his life…His loved ones knew how he cared for them, they knew he loved them more than life itself.. Still, he feverishly prepared for at least, one more walk, years after the first attempt nearly claimed his life, the walk that caused him more pain and suffering than he ever thought possible…

The day came and the conditions were nearly identical, low visibility, soaring heights, unpredictable winds, the swirling currents below, the jagged rocks that lined the river’s banks, and mist that immediately wetted the wire which he had now fought nearly 2 and a half years of his life to get back to. As the time came for the crossing, he inched towards the ledge. He realized in those final moments that he felt more alive on the wire, more alive than anywhere else in the world… He was willing to risk himself and all he loved to feel like he felt standing on the wire. He longed for this feeling, all his life. He felt more complete with his life and his love with the feeling of the wire under his feet. He then concluded that;

“Out on the wire is living”… All other time was simply waiting…

He knew one day he would run out of time, he also knew that this feeling was life itself.

The “walk” seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. He successfully accomplished his object. Instead of falling into the river and waterfall below, this time he fell into the arms of his family and friends. In as much as he loved the wire, he knew he had found what he was looking for…

tune of the day

"In Need Of A Miracle"
by New Radicals