Petit, Fricke, David and Notre Dame

In the hours since Notre Dame caught fire, thoughts turned to three creative people of my lifetime who took inspiration from the Parisian World Heritage Site.

The first to mind was Philippe Petit, the Frenchman who in 1971 illegally walked his high wire between the cathedral's north and south towers, a feat he more famously repeated atop the World Trade Center in New York.

Memory next took me to the author David Macaulay, whose award-winning 1973 book "Cathedral - The Story of Its Construction" and its history-telling illustrations taught me about Notre Dame's epic journey from idea to icon (80+ years, fact-checked at the library while printing tax returns).

Church footage in Ron Fricke's film "Chronos" -- a later-life inspiration to visit Notre Dame in May 2017 and again in December 2018, in daylight and after midnight, respectively -- rounded out the emerging question:

Where were Petit, Macaulay and Fricke when they heard the news today?

When the heartbreaking details arrived, I was in my car between meetings, catching the news on Facebook before the images ablaze made their way online.

Gazing at the church's ancient wood architecture nicknamed "the forest" soared in my memory.

Later in the day, news photos showed these ceilings too far above the reach of hook-and-ladder hoses.

Gut wrenching sad.

But by late Monday afternoon, hopelessness got upstaged as reassurances emerged that Notre Dame will rise again.

It's do-able -- if every visitor of the last 50 years gave just a buck to rebuild, that would raise more than a half-billion Euros or dollars. I will happily contribute time and money, encouraging others for the same.

Avec un petit couer, for the upcoming French Olympiad, the International Olympic Committee and Paris 2024 organizers could also add a Euro or two donation -- for Notre Dame restoration -- to each Games-time ticket sold. That would be good for several millions more while perhaps inspiring an overdue renaissance in Cultural Olympiads.

Maybe Petit could walk a wire across his first Olympic stadium, Macaulay could illustrate the scene and Fricke could capture the official film all in the name of restoration.

Though French Canadian, Celine Dion could sing her recent hit or her five-ringed anthem with iTunes funds saved for flying buttresses.

No matter the creatives inspired for the next Notre Dame, it will be remarkable to see a start to the cathedral's ascent out of ashes in time for the world's arrival in five years.

One hopes the new structure will start with the past and take the time needed -- even decades or another lifetime -- to rebuild it right.

Rebuild and restore -- Amen!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver except "Cathedral" book via Houghton Mifflin Co. and Petit photo via Zalajkowane.pl.