Many decades ago when I was still a teenager and wondering what my place was in the world, Philippe Petit (b. 1949) was walking a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City….. 1,350 feet above the ground…. August 7, 1974. He did it 8 times in 45 minutes.
I thought to myself, “How do you practice for that?”
Well, yesterday, I found the new generation of high wire artists practicing their craft:
So.
There ya go.
You can practice, which is good, because as my wise old grandmother always told me when I was practicing the violin:
“Practice makes perfect!”
Russel Ray Photos 
Cool to see the kids doing this. And, did you get perfect on the violin?
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Once I realized I would never be the next Joshua Bell, I dedicated myself to finding the perfect margarita!
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The photos are cute, and as for practice makes perfect, that goes to the grave with us …. I’ll never be perfect….
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Neither will I, but I can make the perfect margarita!……..LOL
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Haha, I pour a perfect beer.
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It took practice, yes?……..LOL
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True, your grandmother was a lot like my own.
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I think that by the time mothers become grandmothers, they all pretty much are the same awesome.
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Yes, that is definitely a true statement.
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Cute pix and a smart grandma!
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Thanks. I think I’d be in prison or dead by law enforcement if my wise old grandmother had not rescued me.
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So she was pretty influential in your life then. Lucky you! I have little kid memories but wish I knew my grandparents as an adult more – all my memories are them were so great!
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I was one of Utah’s greatest (if that’s the word) juvenile delinquents. The State took me away from my mom and stepdad and put me in a home for troubled youth at the age of 10. A few months later my wise old grandmother, my paternal grandmother, had adopted me and moved me back to Kingsville TX where she lived and where I had been born.
My dad had committed suicide when I was 6 due to my mother’s indiscretions.
Earlier this year I was browsing ancestry.com and found out that my dad had served in the Air Force from December 18, 1950 to December 17, 1954. I was born March 11, 1955. Suddenly I’m wondering if I’m my father’s son……………
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Wow, that’s a heck of a story!!! What a hero your grandmother is!! Glad she saved you and turned ya into the man you are today!!
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And that’s the extraordinarily short version. Here’s more about the most positive period that started in April 1993: https://russelrayphotos2.com/2012/08/14/a-suicide-journey-ends-in-failure/
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Good Lord Russel that is one heck of a story!!! Jeez!! I had to giggle about your being too patriotic and Canada can deal with your body 😄but wow, sooooo unbelievably grateful you’re here today to tell the story!! Can I ask if this all really stemmed from you just being gay? Sorry I guess I say “just” gay as to me – who cares, but then again I’m not gay and haven’t ever had to deal with jerks targeting me for that just because they are insecure bullies. I tried clicking on the Jim link but it’s broken😩. Are y’all still together? Was you Grandma supportive? Omg do you know that was a chat I had with both of my kids!! I wanted to let them know before they were active ever in relationships, that if ever they felt they were gay that I would always love them and support them! I didn’t feel either was gay ever, but I never ever wanted to have that be of concern regardless. Do you feel things are so much more improved now? I do! Back in the 80’s I know I would have been terrified if I was gay in Texas but not so much now. So happy ya stuck around!
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I didn’t come out until I was 38. I had spent all of my days since puberty trying to convince myself, friends, and family that I was straight. So, yes, I would say that all of this stemmed from just being gay. After all, the world pretty much doesn’t like non-conformists, and I think sexual non-conformists are at the top of the list, headed by transgenders.
Jim’s link was to an old real estate web site that he doesn’t use anymore. Here’s he is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.frimmer So, yes, we’re still together. 23 years 3 months.
Two people in my family were supportive, my wise old grandmother and one of her sisters, whom I’m pretty sure was a closeted lesbian all her life in Texas.
Things had gotten better, especially with marriage equality, but I think President Twitler’s approval of all things white supremacist-related has resulted in more than just two steps backward, and I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better because even if he resigns or impeached, Pence is worse because he’s an actual politician who knows how to destroy. Witness what he did in Indiana.
Even here in California, there are many homophobic areas. In fact, Jim & I just bought a house in a pretty hateful area, but it’s isolated, private, and secluded, so we feel okay living here. However, we still have to be Realists when we go outside our property because there are a lot of bad people in this red enclave.
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Wow, I didn’t think things were still so bad/homophobic. So tragic that you were made to feel that way til 38 year old! I try not to talk about politics here but urrr… don’t get me started!!! I’d love to see our country without hate!
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Yet they ‘ No one is perfect.’
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No one is perfect, but some people can do certain things perfectly. For example, there is a musical term called “perfect pitch.”
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Thanks. I didn’t know that.
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We have this in Singapore as well!
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