tightrope

The first tightrope walker may not have been aware of just how aptly his actions would serve as a metaphor for all of humanity. How many times have I felt my path was so narrow, that the consequences of a single missed step would be so disastrous, and that I was the subject of a spectacle for hundreds of people who were watching me, half holding their breath, half hoping I would fall. The near impossible balance maintained with wavering steps, bent knees, arms outstretched as if bracing against invisible walls to either side. Or maybe that innovator first thought to stretch the line to represent his inner state of uncertainty and vulnerability.