Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 2:02am
Faith of the fearless
The first person to cross the United States in an airplane was deaf. Cal Rodgers, a student of the Wright Brothers, reportedly had about 90 minutes of flight training. He left New York on Sept.17, 1911, and arrived in California on Dec. 10, 1911, in a biplane called the "Vin Fiz," which looked very similar to the rickety wood-frame and fabric plane of the Wright Brothers. Rodgers, sitting on the front with no protection or even a helmet, made it in 84 days with five major crashes and two engine explosions along the way. A childhood bout with scarlet fever had left the young aviator deaf. What rationale, in its proper place, would think you need to hear to fly?
The building of the Hoover Dam has always been a study of serious intrigue to me. I have been to visit the final project several times. I still stand in wonderment. The endless questions still linger. There is a list of the lives lost carved on a marble slab, but was there anxiety, hesitation, cold feet, terror?
Some research revealed that there was a group of adventurers called "high scalers," who had nerves of steel and were paid 75 cents an hour vs. the 50 cents an hour paid to regular Hoover Dam workers. There were no hard hats, no safety nets, no OSHA controls during this period in our history. The high scalers were former sailors, Native Americans who lived in harsh terrain, and circus acrobats. Of course, these men were selected for their proven courage, agility, delights of heights, not to mention their physiques. I wonder, were these individuals driven by a higher octane rush of adrenaline?
I attended the funeral of an African-American centenarian recently. The family had many famous stories about her life, among which was a story of Bonnie and Clyde, the notorious duo, being guests in her home. The underlying thought was that the officers would not be looking for two white people in the home of a black family. However, the thought does not escape the amount of faith required to be a cordial hostess to known offenders. Can fear also be unspeakable strength?
Throughout history we have been amazed, dazzled and in awe at the daredevils, their enthusiasm and taunting efforts to be the "best." Jumping through fire, crashing cars, best fight, legal racing. The World Stunt Awards one year went to a man and woman who, hands cupped together, jumped out of a fifth-floor window. The Ozark Mountain daredevils are a constant conversation piece.
Pilots are the most particularly competitive group, the stunt community creates the action we required in movies, tornado chasers are truly misunderstood and the good-looking lion tamer the cutest and bravest. The motorcycle stunt shows make your heart skip a beat. The Blue Angels and Skycoasters have your nerves doing the tango. But we go to watch anyway. Is it the thrill of it all that fascinates us?
Gov. Schwarzenegger's real claim to fame was his contribution to the explosive action in his movies. (Speaking of movies, let me surely not forget the film crews, who are the masters behind the scenes.) Evel Knievel wore us all out with his highly publicized stunts and broken bones routine.
We could not get enough of Erik Weihenmayer, the one and only blind man who ventured up Mount Everest, a mountain he could not see. All of these headliners feed the public's eager interest and quest for "I-saw-it-but-I-don't-believe-it" outcry. But again, do we consider them bold, daring, half-baked, desperate, thrill-crazed or what?
In our daily lives, we see many, many examples of the fearless and their faith. The fearless live up to the true meaning of faith, which is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. Faith is not rocket science, brain surgery or a library of books analyzing how to get it.
Worry looks around. Sorry looks back. Faith looks up. What's your pleasure?
— — —
Ester Davis is a writer and a television host/producer. She can be reached at {email host@esterdavis.com}host@esterdavis.com.{/email} © copyright 2006 by Ester Davis
The building of the Hoover Dam has always been a study of serious intrigue to me. I have been to visit the final project several times. I still stand in wonderment. The endless questions still linger. There is a list of the lives lost carved on a marble slab, but was there anxiety, hesitation, cold feet, terror?
Some research revealed that there was a group of adventurers called "high scalers," who had nerves of steel and were paid 75 cents an hour vs. the 50 cents an hour paid to regular Hoover Dam workers. There were no hard hats, no safety nets, no OSHA controls during this period in our history. The high scalers were former sailors, Native Americans who lived in harsh terrain, and circus acrobats. Of course, these men were selected for their proven courage, agility, delights of heights, not to mention their physiques. I wonder, were these individuals driven by a higher octane rush of adrenaline?
I attended the funeral of an African-American centenarian recently. The family had many famous stories about her life, among which was a story of Bonnie and Clyde, the notorious duo, being guests in her home. The underlying thought was that the officers would not be looking for two white people in the home of a black family. However, the thought does not escape the amount of faith required to be a cordial hostess to known offenders. Can fear also be unspeakable strength?
Throughout history we have been amazed, dazzled and in awe at the daredevils, their enthusiasm and taunting efforts to be the "best." Jumping through fire, crashing cars, best fight, legal racing. The World Stunt Awards one year went to a man and woman who, hands cupped together, jumped out of a fifth-floor window. The Ozark Mountain daredevils are a constant conversation piece.
Pilots are the most particularly competitive group, the stunt community creates the action we required in movies, tornado chasers are truly misunderstood and the good-looking lion tamer the cutest and bravest. The motorcycle stunt shows make your heart skip a beat. The Blue Angels and Skycoasters have your nerves doing the tango. But we go to watch anyway. Is it the thrill of it all that fascinates us?
Gov. Schwarzenegger's real claim to fame was his contribution to the explosive action in his movies. (Speaking of movies, let me surely not forget the film crews, who are the masters behind the scenes.) Evel Knievel wore us all out with his highly publicized stunts and broken bones routine.
We could not get enough of Erik Weihenmayer, the one and only blind man who ventured up Mount Everest, a mountain he could not see. All of these headliners feed the public's eager interest and quest for "I-saw-it-but-I-don't-believe-it" outcry. But again, do we consider them bold, daring, half-baked, desperate, thrill-crazed or what?
In our daily lives, we see many, many examples of the fearless and their faith. The fearless live up to the true meaning of faith, which is daring the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see. Faith is not rocket science, brain surgery or a library of books analyzing how to get it.
Worry looks around. Sorry looks back. Faith looks up. What's your pleasure?
— — —
Ester Davis is a writer and a television host/producer. She can be reached at {email host@esterdavis.com}host@esterdavis.com.{/email} © copyright 2006 by Ester Davis