American Icons

Philippe Petit

While I would never dream of doing what this man did or even fully understand why he did it, I still admire Philippe Petit for doing what others believed to be the impossible.

Philippe Petit, a french tight-rope walker, is one of my greatest inspirations. He is one of the few people in the world that can say he followed his dreams and never gave up. In 1974, Petit did the impossible, he lived out his dream. After six long years of planning, for forty-five minutes, he lived his dream. He walked a tight-rope across the tops of the twin towers.

Philippe Petit is an inspiration to me because in this day and age, you don't hear of many people trying to follow their dreams. The concept is completely ridiculous to most and my saying that I respected Petit for his dedication made many of my friends laugh, thinking it was a bad reason to admire somebody.

But I still admire him. Nowadays, it is practically unheard of, somebody following their dreams no matter what. You usually hear, "If this time doesn't work out, I'm changing my career." and I have had similar thoughts as well, but after watching Petit's documentary "Man on Wire" I knew that I couldn't give up on my dreams, a cliche as that sounds, it's true. I know what I want to do, and I know it will be hard, but after watching a man walk a thin rope in between the two tallest buildings in the world at the time, I knew I could reach my goals in life too.

To me, Phillipe Petit represents anybody who never gave up on their dreams. Phillipe Petit never gave up on himself or his dreams, and to me, there is nothing more admirable than that.


Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor is one of my idols because she does what I want to do when I step into the real world. She is a film director, a field that few women have ever succeeded in. She directed my all time favorite film "Across the Universe" and directed the Broadway production of "The Lion King". Both of those works were beautiful and artistically done and I feel more inspired and excited about film making every time I watch her work.

I believe that Julie Taymor will inspire more women to follow her footsteps. She was the first woman to ever win a Tony Award for best director for her musical "The Lion King" and her film "Across the Universe" was nominated for a Grammy award. She has accomplished things that few women have ever tried to do, and I feel that she is an inspiration for joining, (and thriving) in such a competitive field.

Julie Taymor is a true American icon in my eyes because she has opened up doors for women that weren't open before. She is one of the only female directors whose name is slowly becoming more and more known and I have so much respect for her because of it. She made history when she became the first women to ever win a Tony Award and she will continue to make history when she becomes one of the most known directors in the world. I admire her, and more than that, I want to be like her. I dream of becoming a film director, and watching what she has accomplished, I know I can succeed. She's not only an American icon, she's my icon.


Chris Thile

I always loved to listen to music, but I never actually thought about creating my own until I listened to Chris Thile.

Chris Thile started playing when he was only five years old, and released his first record at twelve. In only a few years time, he was titled the best mandolin player in the world, and for good reason. I only had to listen to one song from him before I knew that I had to learn how to play the mandolin, a small beautiful instrument that is highly under appreciated.

Chris Thile represents real American music. He doesn't use computers or synthesizers to create music, he just plays. It is rare to hear somebody really play anymore,
so I love listening to his music, it's such a breath of
fresh air. While he does sing, he is one of the few people that still creates instrumentals, so that you can just enjoy and appreciate the instrument. It reminds me of what music used to sound like.

Chris Thile has been making an impact on America since he was twelve years old. He has been making real American music for years, and he will continue making it for years to come. I love playing the mandolin, and I dream of having half the talent he does. I respect and admire Chris Thile for never forgetting what he loved, because it aloud me to love his music too.