Twin Towers Tightrope Walk - Phillipe Petit

When we think of the Twin Towers, we can't help but think of tragedy. But once upon a time, it was a place for magic. And on this sad day, I thought it might be nice to remember this as well.

On August 7, 1974, America was in another kind of funk. The Watergate scandal was crippling America and, two days later, Richard Nixon would resign as president. Yet on this very day, an eccentric Frenchman named Phillipe Petit walked on a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers. He didn't just walk -- he danced. He also lay down on the rope and rocked back and forth, as stunned New Yorkers watched from below. It was a surreal, unbelievable moment, something that could only happen here. Petite never repeated this feat and, looking back, it's hard to believe that anyone was ever able to do this.

So it helps to remember that, in the midst of all of the madness in the world, there can also be magic.