REFLECTING
By Mike Rogers
Reflecting
on my years in magic I look back upon what I
expected to happen vs. what has actually happened.
As a kid growing up in a small Wyoming town
there were no other magicians. When I finished
high school I had probably seen a total of ten
magicians, all school assembly magicians. I
had never seen a magic shop, though I did have
several catalogs from Robbins, Abbotts, Douglas,
and Holdenís. I devoured every page studying
every description several times. For the most
part I was extremely disappointed in the products
received from mail orders. The tricks never
lived up to the advertisement. I had heard of
the IBM and SAM, but knew little about either
organization. During my last year of high school
I discovered Genii magazine through a Popular
Science Magazine classified ad. I remember it
well. A trial subscription of three issues cost
one dollar. That three-issue subscription opened
a new world. Prior to that my magical library
consisted of two books. Learn Magic by Henry
Hay and a paper back book picked up from the
local drug store. That was magic for me back
then. You get the picture. I have a feeling
it was much the same for others throughout the
world.
I
did shows. Lots of shows. They werenít good
shows, but I did them. When you are the only
live attraction in a small isolated town thereís
lots of work. I worked every church, grange,
civic club, picnic, banquet, and meeting of
every kind. I had seen Tony Curtis as Houdini
and envisioned myself as advancing on to becoming
one of the worldís greatest touring magicians.
Stars were in my eyes, though I had no idea
just how to achieve these lofty goals.
Within
a few years, after graduating from High School,
I joined the IBM and SAM, and started to attend
conventions. I studied, practiced, met other
magicians, and followed what could be called
a normal route towards being involved in the
art of conjuring. So far nothing really unique
or different from what many others have also
done.
The
card pips following this sentence signify the
passing of many years
ŠßŽŠßŽŠ
ߎŠßŽŠßŽŠ ߎŠßŽŠßŽŠ ߎŠßŽŠßŽŠ ߎŠßŽŠßŽŠ
That
was then. What was important then changed drastically.
Letís jump ahead 40 years and look at how things
turned out differently than I had planned. Now
in my 61st year Iím looking towards the end
of a rather successful career in magic. That
career, however, in no way reflects or duplicates
the grand plan I had as a youngster. Obviously
I didnít become the next Houdini or the next
anything for that matter. My membership in magic
organizations never went beyond receiving the
monthly magazines.
As a
kid I dreamed of belonging to a magic club,
even becoming president of the thing, yet to
date I have never belonged to one. In fact,
over the years Iíve often wondered what purpose
is served by magic organizations. I have visited
many clubs and on three occasions have been
presented with a membership card or certificate
making me an unwilling member, even though I
never actually joined. Moreover, Iíve never
attended magic club meetings other than as an
occasional guest. I have never hung around with
other magicians other than a few close personal
friends. Iíve never been one to hang out in
magic shops. I do, however, occasionally drop
by some shops when the owner happens to be a
personal friend. Iíve probably been in less
than four magic shops in the past ten years.
Making a magic shop my weekend home base has
never been something of interest. I do not call
magicians when in a town away from home, nor
do I meet with them in the evenings. Iíve probably
not seen more than a dozen magic lectures. Though
Iím in Las Vegas often I have never seen Sigfried
& Roy, Lance Burton, David Copperfield,
or any of the other Las Vegas shows. I donít
go to shows, and I especially donít go to magic
shows. I seldom attend the shows at magic conventions
(Iím not alone on this one). With the exception
of a couple I have not seen, nor do I record,
the TV magic specials. As for videotapes, I
probably have six, all given to me as gifts.
I have
never owned a large illusion, and I donít have
a room full of magic. I do have lots of back
up props for the items I use in the event something
becomes lost or broken. Other than replacing
an existing prop I havenít bought any magic
in close to 25 years. My library used to be
quite extensive, but in recent years itís dwindled
considerably. A few years ago I gave most of
it away to a close friend needing some support
during a troubled time in his life. He was in
depression, so to cheer him up sent him a package
of books every few days for several weeks. It
could be argued that my effort to cure his depression
might have contributed to it. That gesture also
about wiped out my library. I still own probably
150 books or so, and I can find just about everything
in those books in a matter of minutes. Iíve
read them all more than once. I havenít bought
a new book in close to twenty years, though
I have received a few as gifts.
So, whatís
the point? Am I a snob, an elitist, a recluse,
a jerk, or an uninformed dunderhead? Perhaps
some of each, but I donít think so. Naturally
I have no way of knowing, but I doubt that my
approach to magic is all that different. I simply
realized years ago that Iíd never be able to
do it all. By the process of elimination I dropped
the things that were not high priority for my
career. At the same time I intently studied
the things that were necessary to succeed. If
it can be said that Iíve enjoyed a degree of
success in magic a providing factor has to be
my ability to eliminate rather than accumulate.
It certainly
isnít how I planned it, but if allowed a second
chance I have no idea what might be different.
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