Walking the Tightrope over Niagara Falls

 blondin1

Today is the end of our FEC reporting period.  Also, it’s the anniversary of the first tightrope walk across Niagara Falls, by Charles Blondin in 1859.

Blondin began performing as an acrobat in 1829 in France, at the age of five.  He moved to the United States in 1855, continuing to work in circuses. It is not known when he first conceived the idea of crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope; for sure, it’s nothing that would have ever occurred to me.

Thus, 159 years ago today, Blondin became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope.  But once was not enough. Blondin did it again and again, in one totally-off-the-chain manner after another:

  • Pushing a wheelbarrow;
  • Sitting down in the middle, and cooking and eating an egg;
  • In a sack;
  • On stilts;
  • Blindfolded; and
  • Standing on a chair, with only one chair leg touching the rope.

Six weeks after his first crossing, Blondin did it with his manager on his back:

Charles Blondin somehow survived this endeavor to have eight children.  He continued tightrope walking until the age of 71. Then Blondin died of old age – certainly, an entirely unexpected end.

Here is my point.  If Charles Blondin could survive a tightrope walk across Niagara Falls with his manager on his back, then we can survive the Trump Administration.  Si se puede.  

Charles Blondin has guts. …

Courage,

Alan Grayson is a Congressman running for reelection in FL, USA.

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