Magic of a Great Wizard
I know a Great Wizard. He has great powers that could boggle the mind. His abilities and agility are so great that human eyes will never see the subtleties of his magic. He can read minds; but he does not. He can foretell the future, but he does not. He can make things appear and disappear, of course; but does not. What kind of wizard is he? He is a wizard of possibilities. In his world he is the greatest. He should not be judged by you or me. If we are to judge anyone let it be ourselves.
I too have great pieces of magic I would like to work on; but I do not. Some of them came to me in a dream, others vision and still others from coffee fueled late night discussions with magicians. With most of the magic I know what I want it to look like, even how I will make it. Some require special props that need to be made and others are in research and development. I love these pieces of magic. In many ways they inspire me to continue working on the craft and art of my performance. We all have magical wonders never seen before and maybe they never will.
Then there is the magic that I do perform. Much of it is not perfect. The magic chest is a little dented. My needle through balloon needs to be sharpened. Some of the methods are OK and I know there are better ones out there. The costumes wrinkle and so do the silks. People love my magic and so do I. Not because it’s imperfect but because it IS. Some of the greatest magicians I know have kept their props together with gaffers tape. They have had reluctant doves and collapsed tables and still did not disappoint their audience. The best magicians still practice new and old effects. But imperfection is part of life, accidents happen, despite all our attempts to control.
Do I need to practice more? Of course! Maybe if I spent more time on the magic that I am doing and less dreaming about the magic I am not, I might perfect some of them. What people love most about the magic I do is that I do it. People experiencing magic are not just aware of the wonder and awe that they feel. They also become aware of the many times in their life when it is absent. They become acutely aware of how much they need it and they are grateful that you brought it to them. The audiences are rooting for the magician and I don’t want to disappoint them. For this reason I practice the magic I actually do, not the magic I dream to do. I never want to tip the trick, or expose the gimmick or do anything that would take away from their experience of the magic. That is why I practice and prepare, for the real audiences I see.
My wizard friend who does not perform will never disappoint, will never be caught with something up his sleeve. He will not forget his lines or be ridiculed by hecklers in a crowd and for this he is a great wizard. But he will not see the joy expressed in people’s smiles, nor the amazement in their eyes. He will not give hope in the darkness of our times nor challenge us to new possibilities. I believe in real magic. Magic in the real world, that really is, has being, tangible and can be experienced, that’s the magic in which I have always believed. You believe in real magic.
