Mike McGuigan and the Bond Street Theatre Coalition

I have a nephew who is quite tall. As he was growing up and it was clear that he was going to be very tall, it became the popular subject on my visits home. My mother could not refrain from pointing out how big and tall her grandson was, just beaming with pride, repeating ad nauseum things such as look how tall he is, or he is going to be really big, or he is bigger than his father already, etc. I also grew up in an era where I had to hear about men who were tall, dark, and handsome, like movie star icons or my father. However, being of average height, I did not grow up with any major psychological damage, only occasional lingering curiosity as to the nature of an alternate life had I been very tall.

Apparently, there is merit to all this madness about height. I just finished reading “6 reasons why tall people are better than you,” which includes the facts that tall people earn more money, are considered more attractive, are better athletes, are leaders, and that women prefer tall men. According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, both men and women who are above average height — 5 ft. 10 in. for males, 5 ft. 4 in. for females — report higher levels of happiness than smaller people.
And, of course, the most often cited benefits for taller men is that women choose them because they are seen as more powerful and can better protect them and their children from other males. One study has shown men hit hardest when striking downwards and that the blows of a taller man are more powerful than those of a short man. Scientists have found that our prehistoric ancestors punched hardest when they stood on two legs – it is thought that fighting was the driving force behind the evolution of upright walking and that males would be better at beating and killing each other when competing for females. If taller is better, then perhaps it would explain one of the appeals of stilt walking.

Recently, while sitting with friends in Washington Square Park, a group of stilt walkers appeared unexpectedly. Not the most common of sights, even in New York City. I scurried over to one of the group that I recognized from afar – Michael McGuigan, the managing director of the Bond Street Theatre Coalition. The other members of the group were interns. I asked if he would come say hello to my group of comrades. He happily obliged, as is his nature. Not a surprise for a man who, along with his wife Joanna Sherman, have spent a lifetime in programs of a philanthropic nature. Read more about them and their organization here. I made the introductions and we all chatted briefly, looking up at the very tall man. As Michael rejoined his group, I went with them, capturing a few photos along with a short video you can see below.

It occurred to me today as I wrote this, that perhaps I should have become a stilt walker and put to rest for good any concerns about being tall enough or missing any possible commensurate benefits. What better place to aspire to great heights than New York City, where everything and everyone towers above and looms large?
And my nephew, no longer king of the hill, would have to learn to play second fiddle. I would enter the ranks of the high and mighty, laugh at the world below like Mike McGuigan, and begin to hear something new wherever I roamed – Look How Tall He Is 🙂

Want to learn more about what I do for a living? Check out Just Like Them, Shop Class, Smile By Fire, Not Of Them, Please Rub Off On Me, Just Like Steve Mills, On the Road, Supercute!, Viktoria’s Secret, Signature, Spinning, and Juggle This, as well as my websites for my juggling equipment and hoops.