One Trick Before You Died - What Would It Be?

And ACR? Invisible Deck perhaps? Oh, maybe that thread reel you never took the time to setup... might as well use the time now eh?

Or would you drop the cards, the coins, the magic charade, and tell the world 1 final thing before you passed on? Would magic even matter at this point? Would you want to tell someone you love them and hold them one last time?

You see guys, sometimes we put to much importance in magic. We take a fun art form and try to make it every fabric of our lives. We replace looking into ourselves with looking into the newest DVD. We forget that being who we are on this earth is more important than a trick, yes, even the invisible deck.

So you wonder why I post this huh? Am I making some dramatic point to be a intellectual justification for me leaving or taking a break in magic? No, i'm staying put. Was it to use those big words I used two sentences ago? No, I had to use spell check to even get those out.

Its because of what I see magic doing to people on the board and to its practitioners in general. So many of us take magic as this holy untouchable immovable art form that is being nothing but disgraced. We want to compare ourselves to others so we can say we are better at this "holy art". Thats not what its about.

Think of the greats in magic... Thurston, Vernon, Houdini, ect. Why do we remember them? Because they were just themselves. They did their own thing and are remembered because they didn't take magic as some super-man like amazing art form that they just had to be better than everyone at. They did what they wanted to and on their own time. Answering to no one, and having no one answer to them.

Sure, they messed up, tricks got exposed. People spotted their double or palm. But they didn't take it so seriously that they went bonkers every time they messed up. They just worked harder and stayed true to themselves.

Thats the most important thing in life, to stay true to yourself. Magic is not what you are, its what you do. It can be a part of your life, but let it be the enjoyable part that you love. Not the mind busting, forum screaming, all controlling part of your life.

So in the end, what are you going to do? A trick, a small part of who you are and why you're on earth? Or will you be real, forgetting all else but who you are and what you want the world to know?

Magic is here for our enjoyment as well as the pleasure of those to whom we perform. Its often a candle burning in a dark room that can be our life. Eventually, though, a final door will open and you can either let the candle continue to burn with no purpose until it finally puts itself out having made its original intent somewhat pointless. Or you can blow the candle out having known it did its task, and it was a job well done.

C=B
 
Dec 10, 2007
627
0
Texas
After that long essay, to answer the simple question....
"If I could only perform one trick before I died, what would it be?"
I'd do a snap change.
=)

-Eugene
 
Oct 28, 2007
453
0
Sydney Australia
And ACR? Invisible Deck perhaps? Oh, maybe that thread reel you never took the time to setup... might as well use the time now eh?

Or would you drop the cards, the coins, the magic charade, and tell the world 1 final thing before you passed on? Would magic even matter at this point? Would you want to tell someone you love them and hold them one last time?

You see guys, sometimes we put to much importance in magic. We take a fun art form and try to make it every fabric of our lives. We replace looking into ourselves with looking into the newest DVD. We forget that being who we are on this earth is more important than a trick, yes, even the invisible deck.

So you wonder why I post this huh? Am I making some dramatic point to be a intellectual justification for me leaving or taking a break in magic? No, i'm staying put. Was it to use those big words I used two sentences ago? No, I had to use spell check to even get those out.

Its because of what I see magic doing to people on the board and to its practitioners in general. So many of us take magic as this holy untouchable immovable art form that is being nothing but disgraced. We want to compare ourselves to others so we can say we are better at this "holy art". Thats not what its about.

Think of the greats in magic... Thurston, Vernon, Houdini, ect. Why do we remember them? Because they were just themselves. They did their own thing and are remembered because they didn't take magic as some super-man like amazing art form that they just had to be better than everyone at. They did what they wanted to and on their own time. Answering to no one, and having no one answer to them.

Sure, they messed up, tricks got exposed. People spotted their double or palm. But they didn't take it so seriously that they went bonkers every time they messed up. They just worked harder and stayed true to themselves.

Thats the most important thing in life, to stay true to yourself. Magic is not what you are, its what you do. It can be a part of your life, but let it be the enjoyable part that you love. Not the mind busting, forum screaming, all controlling part of your life.

So in the end, what are you going to do? A trick, a small part of who you are and why you're on earth? Or will you be real, forgetting all else but who you are and what you want the world to know?

Magic is here for our enjoyment as well as the pleasure of those to whom we perform. Its often a candle burning in a dark room that can be our life. Eventually, though, a final door will open and you can either let the candle continue to burn with no purpose until it finally puts itself out having made its original intent somewhat pointless. Or you can blow the candle out having known it did its task, and it was a job well done.

C=B

Nice essay. I concur
 
Sep 1, 2007
378
0
UK
Did no one get the point of this thread? Seriously.

Don't worry, I think I did, so I'm not going to answer your question. ;)

It's cleverly disguised as the kind of thing we see all the time, which normally have no thought put into them. Maybe some people didn't realise that this thread a little more to it?

To be honest, if it were a case of being given, let's say, one more day to live, I doubt anyone would make it an objective to get on last performance in. :p

Huruey
 
Don't worry, I think I did, so I'm not going to answer your question. ;)

It's cleverly disguised as the kind of thing we see all the time, which normally have no thought put into them. Maybe some people didn't realise that this thread a little more to it?

To be honest, if it were a case of being given, let's say, one more day to live, I doubt anyone would make it an objective to get on last performance in. :p

Huruey

Exactly my man, exactly.
 
Jul 12, 2008
192
0
Kendal
I totally agree with C=B here (whoever you are) there are a lot of people making magic their aim, instead of making magic a tool used to entertain, and then making it more than it is. As you say: it is not a holy art - it is an amusing attempt to decieve people. well amusing most of the time anyway. I like the way you put that first post. It was very to the point. It was good.
 

BrianationX

Banned
Jul 13, 2008
263
0
I would do Brian Tudor's Ambitious Card Routine
Why?
Because the card rises to the top so many times in so little time.
 
I can see what you mean by 'magic is what you do, not who you are' but sometimes who you are is defined by what you do, y'know. People around my parts know me as the magician, but I'm also the sexy guy who's fun to be around. Look, you say Houdini, and instantly people think 'magician', that's because that was who he was, and when it comes down to it, 'who you are', is what people see you as. If people want to be remembered as the magicians, let them. But I'm sure going to live my life to the fullest, and magic will be a big part of it, not THE part.
Josh T.
 
May 8, 2008
360
0
England
Very interesting and very true.

C=B said so much so well that I'm not going to try and expand on it.

Hopefully the Euripides quote in my sig says enough about my outlook on life.

-S
 
Sep 1, 2007
655
1
Lol@ all the 'I would do wounded and CONTROL !11' responses.

One of the best essays I've read in a long time.

Made me think :p
 
Apr 28, 2008
32
0
30
Philippines
I would do Brian Tudor's Ambitious Card Routine
Why?
Because the card rises to the top so many times in so little time.

Damn I'm seeing this guy everywhere and not(for me) a single one of his posts doenst have Brian Tudor in it. T__T

I guess I have to live with it.

Back to topic:

C=B, You are right there. And I have to give you props there.
 
Oct 6, 2007
612
0
control- to make ppl believe that i am immortal and can come back to life after death :D

hmm, vey hard quiestion but i think this trick is Extractior - Impossible PRediction version :):) its a killer! :eek:

Packet Lie Detector #2 from Full Metal Jacket. Recently got around to learn this and it is amazing.

Yer I would do Control, Wounded or the M5. To make people think I have superpowers and I will live on after death.

JDEN

I would do Brian Tudor's Ambitious Card Routine
Why?
Because the card rises to the top so many times in so little time.

A DAMN good read C=B. Totally agree with you.

That's pretty much the reason why I've kind've taken a break from magic. Just getting my real life back, and not letting magic take over.

We'll see if I get pulled back into magic..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jan 11, 2008
84
0
france
And ACR? Invisible Deck perhaps? Oh, maybe that thread reel you never took the time to setup... might as well use the time now eh?

Or would you drop the cards, the coins, the magic charade, and tell the world 1 final thing before you passed on? Would magic even matter at this point? Would you want to tell someone you love them and hold them one last time?

You see guys, sometimes we put to much importance in magic. We take a fun art form and try to make it every fabric of our lives. We replace looking into ourselves with looking into the newest DVD. We forget that being who we are on this earth is more important than a trick, yes, even the invisible deck.

So you wonder why I post this huh? Am I making some dramatic point to be a intellectual justification for me leaving or taking a break in magic? No, i'm staying put. Was it to use those big words I used two sentences ago? No, I had to use spell check to even get those out.

Its because of what I see magic doing to people on the board and to its practitioners in general. So many of us take magic as this holy untouchable immovable art form that is being nothing but disgraced. We want to compare ourselves to others so we can say we are better at this "holy art". Thats not what its about.

Think of the greats in magic... Thurston, Vernon, Houdini, ect. Why do we remember them? Because they were just themselves. They did their own thing and are remembered because they didn't take magic as some super-man like amazing art form that they just had to be better than everyone at. They did what they wanted to and on their own time. Answering to no one, and having no one answer to them.

Sure, they messed up, tricks got exposed. People spotted their double or palm. But they didn't take it so seriously that they went bonkers every time they messed up. They just worked harder and stayed true to themselves.

Thats the most important thing in life, to stay true to yourself. Magic is not what you are, its what you do. It can be a part of your life, but let it be the enjoyable part that you love. Not the mind busting, forum screaming, all controlling part of your life.

So in the end, what are you going to do? A trick, a small part of who you are and why you're on earth? Or will you be real, forgetting all else but who you are and what you want the world to know?

Magic is here for our enjoyment as well as the pleasure of those to whom we perform. Its often a candle burning in a dark room that can be our life. Eventually, though, a final tdoor will open and you can either let the candle continue to burn with no purpose until it finally puts itself out having made its original intent somewhat pointless. Or you can blow the candle out having known it did its task, and it was a job well done.

C=B

well said and well written. I wanted to bring up a similar point not long ago but wasnt able to put it into words. Good job I am happy someone made this point, unfortunately it seems many people decided to not read the post, it seems they just read the title and decided to answer.

As for the question in the thread if i had to answer it, i would peform my favourite magic effect : spending time with people i love.
 
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