‘The wire is life’

'I could fall to my death:' tightrope walker Wallenda readies to cross active volcano

Feb 27 (Reuters) - Tightrope walker Nik Wallenda fears the worst-possible outcome as he prepares for his latest high wire act - trekking across a live volcano in Nicaragua on Wednesday. "I could fall to my death."

But the 41-year old member of the seven-generation family of daredevils, The Flying Wallendas, is taking it in stride.

"It is just the reality of what I do," he told Reuters on Thursday, ahead of his live, televised walk 1800 feet (548 meters) across the Masaya volcano with churning lava below.

According to Dick Clark Productions, it will be the highest and longest walk he has ever attempted.

"I will tell you that my first step I take will be a step of faith," he said. "It's not as though I'm fearless. It is more about me overcoming that fear."

https://news.trust.org/item/20200227224041-5xefc

which made me think of this....

Q. I like the fact that with jam bands, there’s really no pre–set formula Obviously the Dead were out there doing it first. Isn’t it like walking the high wire?

A. Oh, yeah. Wasn’t it Karl Wallenda who said “The wire is life, and everything else is just waiting around”? It’s that risk that gives you the sense of “Wow, I’m really alive right now. It’s not like I’m going to be alive if this comes off,” or “I’m going to be alive looking back on this,” it’s “I’m really alive right now, right in the middle of all this risk.”

http://www.billdeyoung.com/music-archives/the-wire-is-life-a-conversatio...