His real name was Jean-François Gravelet.
But shortly after he launched his career in the 1840s as Europe’s greatest “funambulist” or tightrope walker, the Frenchman began calling himself Charles Blondin. And it wasn’t long before that had morphed into Blondin the Great.
He was a fairly ordinary-looking fellow – just five-foot five inches tall, blond hair, blue eyes, 140 pounds.
But nobody knew how to sustain a crowd’s attention like Blondin.
As a preschooler he had first balanced himself on a rope stretched between two chairs. Gradually his vertigo-inducing hobby became an obsession. Then a pathway to global celebrity.
He always worked without a net. He never bought life insurance. “What company would take that risk?” he used to joke.
Blondin came to America determined to pull off the ultimate stunt. He would be the first person to walk across the gorge of the Niagara River just below the falls – 1100 feet from side to side, 160 feet above the water, on a 3-inch rope.
On June 30, 1859, about 25,000 thrill-seekers crowded the bluffs above the “boiling cataract” to see if he would fall.
Blondin, dressed in pink tights with sparkles, took his first steps along the rope. Several spectators promptly fainted.
In order to steady himself, Blondin carried a 26-foot wooden balancing pole which weighed nearly 50 pounds.
Ever the showman, he horrified the crowd by sitting down on the rope about a third of the way across. He signaled the Maid of the Mist, the tourist boat, to anchor just beneath him. He lowered a line and hauled up a bottle of wine. After taking a few gulps he started off again, actually finishing his trip at a run.
Blondin the Great thereby became a worldwide sensation.
That was hardly the end of his love affair with Niagara Falls. It’s estimated that he crossed the river about 300 times over the next 35 years. And he never did it quite the same way twice.
Blondin once walked backwards to Canada. He also went across pushing a wheelbarrow. Once he made the crossing doing backflips. Another time he crossed at night. He also walked on stilts; inside a sack; blindfolded; and even paused to stand on a chair (with only one chair leg balanced on the rope).
Incredibly, he once lugged a stove and utensils on his back, walked to the center of the rope, kindled a fire, and cooked an omelet. He then lowered that breakfast item to the passengers on the Maid below.
His most famous crossing involved his manager, Harry Colcord. The trusting talent agent climbed onto Blondin’s back and held on for dear life while the acrobat inched his way across.
Beforehand, Blondin gave Colcord strict instructions: “If I sway, sway with me. Do not attempt to do any balancing yourself. If you do, we will both go to our death.”
Life and death are all about keeping our balance.
On any given day, we’re called to juggle family relationships, work, exercise, friendships, nutrition, housekeeping, entertainment, fiscal responsibility, emotional wellbeing, sleep, and spiritual vitality – all the while making sure nothing falls into the boiling cataract of life in the 21st century.
To which we can only say: Good luck with that.
Blondin was certainly right. The only way to arrive safely at our destination is by holding on to someone who has a world of experience – and who is committed to never losing his grip on us.
An excellent candidate comes to mind.
"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
Begin each day by prayerfully hitching a ride with the One who has never missed a step.
And who has never been the least bit intimidated by walking through life without a net.
Comments