Petit Revives Grande Memories

In 1974, Philippe Petit walked a cable stretched between the towers of the World Trade Center. He was arrested by the NYPD and sent for psychiatric tests. After all, what normal man would dare to amaze and excite people with a high-wire feat not performed with the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus inside Madison Square Garden? Though many doubted his sanity by the height of his stunt, he was judged to be normal. An older, but no less entertaining Philippe Petit walked a tightrope in Washington Park recently; this time, a mere five feet above the ground. Nevertheless, he still evoked memories of the WTC and a time when we New Yorkers were able to look skyward and witness beauty and miracle combined. Thanks for the memories, Phillipe.