March 31, 2015. The 126th anniversary of the public opening of the Eiffel Tower. Also, today I completed Crossing Swords and ordered the first print run! Why is this an interesting coincidence? Because the book begins by comparing Mary Baker Eddy’s career to the Eiffel Tower:
“Figuratively speaking, Mrs. Eddy is already as tall as the Eiffel tower,” wrote American author Mark Twain. “She is adding surprisingly to her stature every day.” The newly built Eiffel Tower, the main symbol of the 1889 world’s fair in Paris, was by far the tallest building in the world at that time. It was hailed as a model of courageous innovation and achievement—a wondrous monument to man’s ability. Twain’s comparison was a tribute to Mary Baker Eddy’s towering accomplishments and her unique fame in the world. . . . To women’s rights leader Susan B. Anthony, Eddy’s towering accomplishments were a wondrous monument to woman’s ability.”
As the history of the Eiffel Tower shows, towering accomplishments are not always fully recognized and appreciated while they are being created. But eventually, their value is seen by all, and it becomes hard to image the world without those landmarks. Here’s to celebrating all such towering accomplishments!