Give. Thanks!



Despite the fact that I'm less than a month from my first show, I'm taking a break from practice today... ok, true confession, I DID go through one of the effects a couple of times, but otherwise I'm going to relax, enjoy a wonderful meal with family, and give thanks.

There's a lot to be thankful for this year.  Yes, my professional life has had it's ups and downs, but there have been plenty of good things... the family is all healthy and employed, we've moved into a new home, some good friends have offered freelance work to fill in the gaps, I've renewed my focus in magic, and I've discovered an entire new family of magicians who have been accepting of this aging Novice.

Accepting is too small a word, to be honest, and family feels like a literal word.  I've gained many magic Brothers and Sisters.  From Jeff McBride, Dean Hass, and the rest of the Magic & Mystery School team, who made it possible for me to attend Magic & Meaning and welcomed me with open arms, to all the attendees of the event, who offered their wisdom and continued advice, I've been accepted in a way I didn't imagine happening. I mentioned early on during the event that I was hoping to find a mentor for my magic work... I now have, hmmmmm.  I've lost count!  However the best part of  many of these new friendships is that they are true friendships, not based on our shared interests in magic only.  This may sound odd, but I honestly didn't expect to make a bunch of new BFF's at my age, but I'm thankful that I have.

 "How can I help?" is a powerful phrase, and I heard it many times during Magic & Meaning.  As divisive and angry as the world can feel these days, there are still helpers, givers... asking nothing in return, they do what they can to make the world a better place for others.  It was an important reminder to me that it's important to look outside myself and participate in life with the rest of humanity... not to "make myself feel better," but because it's the right thing to do.



Recently, one of my new sisters, Luna Shimada Losander, lost her Mother.  Anyone in magic knows the name Shimada.... her parents toured the world, performing together for over 30 years.  Luna has followed in their footsteps; collectively it's not an exaggeration to call them a Royal Magic Family.  I met Luna at Magic & Meaning and we bonded quickly.  She was among the first to offer to mentor me, and I've been bouncing ideas off her since then.

When I heard that her Mother had passed, I felt terrible for her of course, and though I didn't know what I could possibly do, living a country apart, I asked, "How can I help?"  I was pleased to find that there was a way I could help.

As often happens, the family members left behind find themselves settling the affairs of their loved one.  Bills aren't magically wiped away when one is gone, and the family often becomes responsible for them, whether medical, legal... the list can be endless.  Luna and her family are in this position, and have discovered immediate financial issues that need to be addressed.  Imagine... trying to deal with how to get things paid while overcome with loss.  When I asked, "How can I help"?  Luna asked if I would be willing to help her set up a memorial fund in her Mother's honor.  I would... I did.

I encourage you to click the link below, read Luna's loving tribute to her Mother, and seriously considering giving.   Thanks!

https://www.gofundme.com/deannashimadafund


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shuffling on the Shoulders of Giants - Part 1

Image
When one grows up in a small college town in the upper Midwest, exposure to magic is limited.  By the 1960's and 70's, any traveling magic shows that may have passed through in earlier years had either disbanded or were sticking to larger metropolitan areas.  So it's not surprising that my first exposure to magic came from a relative who could pull his thumb off and put it back on (a trick I've learned that every Grandfather needs in his routine).   It was more amusing than amazing, so it took a bit more mystery to reel me in.  That came from a jumping mummy. I'm not sure which uncle had bought the trick in the first place, but it had been passed down to my Aunt, who loved to fool me with it.  If you've never seen this miracle, here's what happens... a tiny plastic mummy will just fit inside an equally tiny sarcophagus, but unless you know the secret, he just keeps hopping out.  She drove me crazy with this little puzzle... I could NOT figure ...
Read more

The Long Intermission

Image
  It's been a while.  I actually started a list of what's gone on since I last took up the pen for this blog.  Here are the magic highlights: 1.  I booked a show in February, which was to happen in September of this year. 2.  COVID hit and I pretty much gave up on magic along with many things in my life, other than eating and imbibing too much. 3.  At the beginning of July, I cut back on everything except training and running a 5k, which reset my head and made me realize that if that gig I still had booked actually did happen, I needed to get back to practicing. 4.  The gig DID happen, at a lovely theatre in Milton Deleware.  It not only went well, but I reconnected with a family I had last seen when I was 8 years old. 5.  I was interviewed by a young man who produces a podcast called "Buddycast."  He learned about me through a mutual magic friend.  I wasn't sure I had much to offer.  I'm told I was wrong about that, but more i...
Read more

The Expert & The Novice: True Confessions

Image
                                                          Some background for the non-magicians reading this... Dai Vernon was one of the greatest magicians you've never heard of.  Born in 1894, he was a "magician's magician," spending the 98 years of his life perfecting his craft to a level rarely (if ever) matched.  His work and influence changed the landscape of modern magic, and today the work of Mr. Vernon is still revered and studied by serious magicians. Legend has it that he began his magic journey at age 5, absorbing "The Expert at the Card Table" by S.W. Erdnase - a slight, but heady piece on the methods used by professional card cheats, which also included a section of magic tricks.  Complicated stuff for even an adult who works with cards, yet at 5 the child who would become known as the "Professor" made the...
Read more