When Philippe Petit, the man who defied death to spend almost an hour walking on a wire between the Twin Towers in 1974, was recently asked to describe his story he called it: “A fairy tale… A young man falls in love with two towers and conquered them, shall I say, married them with a rope on which he walked [a] long, long, long time ago.”

Mr. Petit describes himself as “a magician” and his calling in life is clearly to challenge the limits we place on ourselves through our perception of what is and isn’t possible. His preparation and skill were an intrinsic part of his success, but his physical prowess was secondary to his spiritual mastery – his focus on the moment and his faith in his dream were unshakable.

In that spirit, we are magicians, too. We have a mighty purpose, which, when realized, will bring a sense of wonder to millions of people — and the only thing standing in the way is small-mindedness. No wonder we’re so confident. In September, 2006, Mr. Petit gave us a statement to read at our rally in Central Park that ended with the words: “I continue to think your efforts are commendable and worthwhile. . . I remain a champion for the rebuilding of the Twin Towers EVERYDAY!!!”

At the end of an interview in the January 2007 issue of Psychology Today, he was asked what he would like to see happen at the WTC. “I think they should be rebuilt exactly the same, or maybe even a little bit higher — as a rebellion against doom.”

Philippe Petit dares us to dream epic dreams. He obviously believes in happy endings.

     Dream No Small Dreams   ||   The Restoration Alternative