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Notre Dame’s Eternal Faith in Technological Innovation
April 15, 2019: A fire caused devastating damage to Notre-Dame de Paris. The flames engulfed parts of the church’s history as well as offering a choice for the future: See Notre Dame only as it has been or envision Notre Dame for what it can be based on what it has been before.
Many, I believe, favor the latter.
Jimmy’s Daily Planet covered this tragic fire from a myriad of angles for that entire week in mid-April, which continues today in order to shine a light on a church that still shines its light on so many. In recent days, the doors of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris have been opened for the public to see via exclusive media footage seen below.
Given the sight of the flames doing its worst to Notre Dame, it’s remarkable just how much of the famed cathedral was protected and maintained. It will take a long time to restore Notre Dame back to its former glory. In just three months time, it’s encouraging to see — from the inside — that this iconic gothic Parisian structure will rise again. The doors will reopen to the public and people will return with a renewed faith not only in the church but also in people and organizations who rushed to help in various ways locally and around the world in the fire’s immediate aftermath.
Technological innovation started building Notre Dame’s foundation in 1163 — continuing for the next two hundred years — and it appears as if technological innovations in the 21st century will help rebuild Notre Dame in the coming few years for future generations to pray and/or visit and look around in awe.
P.S. I can’t be the only one who thinks there’s a Dan Brown novel based somewhere within or around this consequential event that was focused on a global religious icon that captured the world’s attention, right?
Permanent Legacy as Defined by the Ebb & Flow of Success & Failure
Winston Churchill is universally regarded as the greatest Prime Minister of Great Britain, with Margaret Thatcher in the second position. Those two Prime Ministers were significant players in defining the 20th century for the better, separated by just roughly 40 years. Simply incredible.
And while Mr. Churchill was a passionate and determined leader — who played a direct role in the Allied Forces success during World War II — his talents while off-the-clock included painting and writing literature. Perhaps he was an unanticipated Renaissance Man of his time, but he was one by definition and his wide-ranging talent.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Churchill won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953.
As a matter of more fact, Mr. Churchill’s legacy as Great Britain’s necessary Prime Minister in the darkest hour of its existence — 1940-1945 and later in peacetime from 1950-1955 — was cemented, in part, because of his inspirational words regarding not only the hellish nature of war but also the aspirational nature of life itself.
It’s always a good time to revisit such an enduring giant of world history. Today, this flashback is a reminder of his words on a variety of worthy subjects that are inspirational in the very least and life-altering at best.
Winston Churchill certainly succeeded in historic fashion with a lasting consequence felt today, but it’s also known that he had his fair share of consequential failure (#4). And I cannot think of a better quote by Mr. Churchill that better defines Mr. Churchill, whether he was being admired in the brightest spotlight by the public while facing down the darkest evils of the world in the 1940s or whether he was merely sitting in a chair in the corner of some room pondering his next thought.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”
–Winston Churchill
The Blue Jackets Swept Away Its Playoff Past With Lightning in a Bottle
The 8-seed Columbus Blue Jackets swept the 1-seed–and Presidents’ Trophy-winning–Tampa Bay Lightning in four games in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
This remarkable feat was the first time:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets had won a playoff series in its franchise history
- The Presidents’ Cup winners were swept in the first round of the NHL Playoffs
Game 1: A 3-0 deficit was erased with a stunning Blue Jackets 4-3 comeback win.
Game 2: Columbus destroyed Tampa Bay 5-1 in Florida.
Game 3: The Blue Jackets won 3-1.
Game 4: Watch below to relieve the dramatic, magical night inside Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH-IO on Tuesday evening.
Was last season’s four-game collapse against the favorited Washington Capitals the odd springboard for the Blue Jackets playoff success thus far in 2019? That’s probably a safe presumption, specifically when discussing the third game in this series. More broadly, Columbus has arrived in a way this city has been waiting around two decades to witness.
And now its NHL counterparts and fans alike are seeing something different about the Blue Jackets right now…
something they don’t want to face-off with anytime soon.
Happy Monday!
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
–Leo Tolstoy
Inspiration comes from many places, often from locations invisible to the naked eye. That’s the reality of the surreal, wonderland-like adventure of a wandering mind. The only thing we can do is exercise that muscle when it flexes.
On that randomly symphonic note, below is “We Shall Fight” from the soundtrack of ‘Darkest Hour,’ which is a film about Winston Churchill’s defining moment of world history-altering leadership during World War II.
Have patience that the crescendo is coming during the time in the film when Mr. Churchill’s warrior-like speech is needed to raise up an entire nation during its–pardon me for being so obvious–darkest hour.
It’s only Monday, but we too must persevere through our varying struggles set for this week.
(If only with the same kind of liquid diet as Winston Churchill).
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
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