If I had never discovered magic, I'd be very lonely - I'm naturally shy. Magic has earned me the nickname "Houdini" at school, it has made me friends that I
never would have made without magic, and it has made me more confident.
After performing now for 6 years (and I'm only 13
), when I think back to my life before I performed magic, it seems miserable. Even though I was little, I was always the kid who was picked on. I was too shy to call other kids off, and as a result of that, I really became the "outcast", if you will. I had almost no friends.
All of that changed when I saw a David Blaine special on TV. I begged my parents relentlessly until they took me to my local magic store. I bought a book on card tricks, and a "Nickels to Dimes" trick. I performed Nickels to Dimes and a simple card trick to one of my few friends, and they were blown away. After a few days of showing my friends these tricks, crowds began to form, and soon I was the talk of the entire grade. I was able to keep everyone entertained with new tricks for almost the entire year, and even when I didn't have anything new to perform, kids were still nice to me. It took me a while to realize that magic had made me more socially confident. I knew most of the kids in my class pretty well, and they all seemed to respect me.
Without magic, I would have (and probably still) been an outcast. Magic has made me more confident; it has made me feel better about myself. I have friends, and I'm moderately popular. Everyone knows me, and that just goes to show that if you can find a way to express yourself, no matter how shy you are, you will feel better about yourself, and make some good friends.