David Blaine and " The World's Fastest Man"

Source: NY Times 5/13 " When the City Was Magical" p.29 Kenneth Silverman

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David Blaine stories linger on in the news. Kenneth Silverman writes today about a time when the city was united in interest over Houdini's stunts. After all, Houdini's 'getting out' and Blaines 'staying in' do not require too much from us. We wonder about it and fix our minds and eyes on something remote from our routine. Justin Gatlin, "The World's Fastest Man" setting a world record for the 100 meter sprint is just a variation on this urge to do the almost impossible. We spread our goals out broadly in terms of years usually, whereas these folks narrow their goals to one thing and train to achieve them sooner rather than later. We wonder at it. We would never imagine ourselves doing it, so we will spend some time with it. It's something like an aquarium visit, punctuation in the more complex events our lives. We leave it easily and it lingers like smoke for a time and then vanishes.