Misfortune showed me something inspiring.

Feb 7, 2011
362
1
Some horrible misfortunes in my personal life has brought me a new understanding for this cardistry as an art concept.

Unfortunately I have spent alot of the last month in hospital waiting rooms. Alot of my close friends have been struck with health problems, and it hurts me to say they are all very serious. Usually when I sit in any waiting room i do not play with cards. I do not do anything, i dont read the magazines or talk to the other people there. Im always very placid. But when most recently, a member of your best friends family, who are like your second family, is in a car collision with a truck, and you have to sit in the waiting room, something else is there with you, me i should say. I usually loose myself in my thoughs, but i cant do it when there is something there that is weighing down on my shoulders. No one knowing what to say. Not knowing yourself what to say when the persons 5 year old daughter sits on your knee and asks when we can go home. I had cards with me.

First thing to know, i dont consider myself a flourisher, in my time i have spent 8 hours a day with cards yes, but my passion is at the card table. Those sleights, and there are no tables in that waiting room. Just those damn chairs.

For the last while, maybe a year, simply to see if i would catch the bug, i starting trying my hand at card flourishes.
I enjoy it. I am not obsessed with it, But in the waiting room, it's what i wanted to do. I did not want to do magic tricks. Everyone had glazed over red eyes from the tears being wiped from them, or the tears waiting to fall from them, there's no way anyone could stomach an entertainer moving around the room, there's no way i could stomach doing it. But, to myself at first, I started making the cards move. I dont know anything too complicated, but thats not the point. Slow, steady and smooth cardistry was what i was doing. It got me through hours in that hateful room. I dont know for how many hours i was in the room doing it, but i know for at least five minutes nobody in the room had anything on their mind except watching the cards flow in different shapes. There was no music in the room, but looking back a few hours, i like to think everyone had their own music playing in their head, because i did, it's what i was moving to. This song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35F6d2Utlpg). It's been in my head ever since.

Apart form sharing my story, i want to share something i didn't know before. We know that magic can make people laugh, question their beliefs, it can make people cry, it can make people feel almost anything. But i didn't know it was possible for people to enjoy sad cardistry. I have a whole different view of it.

I apologise in advance for any error in grammar or spelling, i haven't slept in while.

Thanks for reading.
-Kevin.
 

CaseyRudd

Director of Operations
Team member
Jun 5, 2009
3,390
3,798
Charleston, SC
www.instagram.com
Kevin,

Reading this was very moving, powerful, and inspirational. I'm glad that you could use Cardistry as a way to move you, and move others through difficult times. This is something that everyone can take and incorporate into their daily lives. Thank you so much for posting this.

-Casey
 

yohannis

Elite Member
Jun 17, 2010
6
0
Seattle
i can only echo casey's sentiment. there's not much more i can say without diminishing the thought other than also saying: thank you for posting this.
 
Some horrible misfortunes in my personal life has brought me a new understanding for this cardistry as an art concept.

Unfortunately I have spent alot of the last month in hospital waiting rooms. Alot of my close friends have been struck with health problems, and it hurts me to say they are all very serious. Usually when I sit in any waiting room i do not play with cards. I do not do anything, i dont read the magazines or talk to the other people there. Im always very placid. But when most recently, a member of your best friends family, who are like your second family, is in a car collision with a truck, and you have to sit in the waiting room, something else is there with you, me i should say. I usually loose myself in my thoughs, but i cant do it when there is something there that is weighing down on my shoulders. No one knowing what to say. Not knowing yourself what to say when the persons 5 year old daughter sits on your knee and asks when we can go home. I had cards with me.

First thing to know, i dont consider myself a flourisher, in my time i have spent 8 hours a day with cards yes, but my passion is at the card table. Those sleights, and there are no tables in that waiting room. Just those damn chairs.

For the last while, maybe a year, simply to see if i would catch the bug, i starting trying my hand at card flourishes.
I enjoy it. I am not obsessed with it, But in the waiting room, it's what i wanted to do. I did not want to do magic tricks. Everyone had glazed over red eyes from the tears being wiped from them, or the tears waiting to fall from them, there's no way anyone could stomach an entertainer moving around the room, there's no way i could stomach doing it. But, to myself at first, I started making the cards move. I dont know anything too complicated, but thats not the point. Slow, steady and smooth cardistry was what i was doing. It got me through hours in that hateful room. I dont know for how many hours i was in the room doing it, but i know for at least five minutes nobody in the room had anything on their mind except watching the cards flow in different shapes. There was no music in the room, but looking back a few hours, i like to think everyone had their own music playing in their head, because i did, it's what i was moving to. This song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35F6d2Utlpg). It's been in my head ever since.

Apart form sharing my story, i want to share something i didn't know before. We know that magic can make people laugh, question their beliefs, it can make people cry, it can make people feel almost anything. But i didn't know it was possible for people to enjoy sad cardistry. I have a whole different view of it.

I apologise in advance for any error in grammar or spelling, i haven't slept in while.

Thanks for reading.
-Kevin.

Kevin you have put something inspiring to failures. But I believe it depends on individual whether to blame misfortune or welcome the hidden opportunity...
 

Andrei

Elite Member
Sep 2, 2007
439
24
35
Las Vegas
www.youtube.com
Thank you for sharing. It's nice to be reminded why I love this art so much - it gives us a window of opportunity to express ourselves even in the most darkest times. I hope your friends make it out alright, stay safe.
 
Mar 6, 2010
138
3
Inspiring

Thank you for sharing this sad yet inspiring experienced you endured. I sincerely hope your friends will be alright. Thanks again.
 
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