I had remembered Niagara Falls from 1980 as a down-at-heel tourist trap, but in 2012 I found it to be a vibrant city full of international visitors.
People were still buzzing about Nik Wallenda’s high wire crossing of the Falls from Goat Island (New York) to Table Rock (Ontario) the week before we arrived. I wasn’t there to see the feat live, but watched it later online. You can see a video recap below.
I don’t follow daredevils, megastunts and extreme sports, so perhaps that’s why I’m not immune to the fortitude it takes to pull them off. Wallenda walked from the U.S. to Canada on a two-inch wire, 200 feet above the roaring water. Surveying the sight of his feat from the safety of the walkway made me shudder, but then again, some people shudder at the thought of riding a motorcycle. To each her own.
What happened when Wallenda entered Canada was standard protocol:
The immigration agent asked, “What is the purpose of your trip sir?”
Wallenda presented his passport and replied, “To inspire people around the world to follow their dreams and never give up.”
Today’s the only day in your power to move toward a dream. Take a baby step, even if it feels like a megastunt. As Nik Wallenda’s grandfather (also a high wire man) said, “Life is on the wire; everything else is waiting.”