So I arrive at Charlie's shop and my knees are weak. I remember it pretty well because it was the most important day of my life. I get to purchase my first real Magic.
I can recall that I was pretty nervous and a little scared. The routine was the same as it's always been with Mom parking, walking to the Magic shop and telling me she'll be back soon. But this was the end of the "normal" Saturday routine. I was a different kid. How weird everything was.
I knew I had time to kill and I didn't want to buy the ball right off the bat, so I did my looking around and it seemed like forever that I had to kill time, but the time came. I walked to the counter and asked Charlie for the trick with the red ball. He went in the back and came back with a little brown box. He opened it up and looked inside to make sure it all was there. He really didn't show me the prop, but he tilted it just a bit and I could see the shinny red balls. I knew in a moment that they were going to be mine. Whew! What a rush of emotions.
I paid him the money and he put the box in the bag and handed it to me. Boy oh boy, they were mine. Mission accomplished.
My Mom picked me up and I got in the back of the car. I was tempted to break in to the bag and check out the new purchase, but I held back. I waited until I got home. Now that was my first test of willpower that I can remember. Funny how we learn lessons like that.
When I got home, I went straight to my bedroom and shut the doors. I sat on the bed and reached in the bag and took out the little box. I slowly opened the box and on top of the balls was the instructions which I set aside. In fact it was just a little square of paper that had for drawings on it with no words. The first drawing was a hand with one ball between the thumb and forefinger. The second drawing was now two balls in the hand. The third drawing was with three balls and the forth showed four balls all between the fingers. That was it.
So once the instructions were lying on the bed, I looked in the box. There they were, shinny red balls, just like my Grandpas. As I took out the three balls, I noticed that there was that little extra something... What was this? Hmmm... I looked at the instructions and there wasn't a clue of that little extra something. I was confused.
I took a ball and shook it. Nothing. In fact, I think I shook each ball. Something wasn't quite right. No real instructions. No clues as to how they work. Dang. What's up.
Then I looked at that little extra something. Then I looked a ball. Then I put two and two together... Damn! This was "Just Another Trick." WTF! This is a TRICK. Just like all the other crap I've been buying. But how could it be. It was REAL Magic! My mind was blown. I was crying. My Spark was destroyed. I didn't know what to do. I loved it and I hated it. Leaning on your own is a tough thing sometimes. I guess I knew about tricks, but I didn't know a thing about Magic. HUGE difference.
My life changed again that day. I could not really do Magic. I wasn't good enough. I was confused, hurt and the Magic died.
I don't remember how long I grieved, but it had to be a week or so. But somewhere along the way, but young mind learned about Enlightenment. That first epiphany. That moment where you get an Ah Ha moment.
I picked up those balls. I took that little something and went to my mirror. I worked for a long time and then it happened, one ball turned into two! It caught me by surprise. It looked like REAL Magic. All of a sudden it wasn't a trick. It was real Magic. It happened. I did it again. Then again, for hours. It truly was magic. I showed it to my Mom, she looked surprised and applauded. (Of course no matter what I did, even not finding the right card, my Mom would look surprised and would applaud. She was my perfect audience, not a good critic. I had plenty of those in my life later.)
It was the next step in becoming a real magician. I realized that even all those other "Tricks" that I had thrown into that shoe box were just as strong. The Magic Snapper really does kill for a puzzle thing and the Dime to Penny was a very strong piece of Magic.
I learned the quality of protecting Magic and keeping secrets. I learned that after much practice and "Performance Leaning" the moves disappear and at that point the effect is pure Magic. I could now perform Magic. I was a Magician.
Lessons come hard sometimes and sometimes they are just an awareness of what really exists all the time. But I had to remember and learn that lessons are personal. We all approach them differently. We all learn the same lessons through different experiences. We all perform Magic no matter if we are Magicians or not.
Lessons. Now that's what I'm talking about. It's all Magic isn't it. Learn your Magic no matter if in involves performance magic, music, speaking or building things or being an artist, a mom, a doctor or a surfer. YOUR Magic is yours. Pay attention to YOUR lessons. Embrace your gifts that you gather along the path and be thankful that it may not come easy. Be kind and share your Love of who and what you are. You may never be a magician, but you are always Magic.
Continue to be Special...
Bro. Paul West
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