We live in a world filled with wonders of technology that twenty years ago would have seemed like magic (and still do to me), yet many people seem to take them for granted. "Ho-hum, another miracle of technology (stifling a yawn). Pass me my i-pad please." It makes sense that the young who have never known any better might feel this way, but as a representative of the older set, I still give a shake of the head when wielding such amazing power.
I could be wrong (it happened once or twice before, lol), but it seems to me most people do not look for magic in their life. Perhaps magic seems unpredictable, and dangerous because it might take you places you have not imagined, places where you have to figure out your own path, or worst of all, you won't fit in because you will not be normal. It sounds cynical to think this, but in my opinion, media wants us to be dependent on them for our entertainment, for our opinions and ultimately for any magic in our lives.
Fear of real magic seems to fly in the face of popular entertainment. After all what series of books and movies has been more popular than Harry Potter? We seem very happy to read about and watch programs about warlocks, witches, vampires, werewolves, at least, we love to watch it in others on the screen, but only as long as we can go back to safety afterwords.
Personally, I love to escape into a good story, mostly because it recharges my own capacity for magic. Safety is not a bad place, as long as I don't have to live there all the time.
As Calie mentioned in her post Literary Escapism..., it has been my pleasure to follow along on a number of book selections she has suggested. Among these, the Sookie Stackhouse novels have been enjoyable for me because they are written by a woman, Charlaine Harris and to my mind her target audience is also female. I never had a chance to be the little girl (even if I did hang out with them as much as I could), and as a teenager, there was no chance to experience that viewpoint at all. Whatever the complex reasons are, I really enjoy them, as I do the "In Death" series Calie mentioned in the same blog post, also written by a woman from a female perspective.
Real magic takes many forms and often appears when you least expect it. A friend of mine's son, a single parent, is doing his best to
raise two autistic pre-teens. Talk about having to be pleased with small gains! He gets a little help from family, and the school system is making progress finding ways to reach such children. His life defies the norms. At
some point, he and those two children may be featured on the mainstream media, because there is
a market for stories that defy the norm, even when no one wants to live those stories.
In my humble opinion, with few exceptions, the folk who blog here, and comment here, are looking for and/or have found real magic in their lives by allowing themselves to accept and explore another side to their personalities. Sometimes it doesn't feel very magical, but let's face it, for the magician the magic gets to be commonplace after a while.
We magicians need to be reminded every now and then how really exceptional our world is; not something that should be hidden and painful.
Whether it be seeing and talking to loved ones who are thousands of miles away, or feeling your autistic grandchild's first hug, real magic is all around.
Sometimes it is hard to recognize and appreciate it.
By sharing our thoughts with others, through the world of blogging, the magic has resulted in so many new friends. Strange how the magic can come from out of nowhere. Not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that so many new friends would come my way through the magic of blogging.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout-out, girl!
Calie xxx
Calie, Thank You!
ReplyDeleteSad to realize way too late just how powerful and rare these last two years have been for me. There are so many I will never get to thank for the magic of their friendship as they passed through Blogistan.
I couldn't agree with both of you more. Had I not ended up unemployed for a little over twenty months, I probably would never have found this wonderful neighborhood known as Blogistan, and all the terrific girl friends who have come to mean so much to me. I will forever be in everyone's debt for the show of love and support.
ReplyDeleteHalle, I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I believe I am a better person for having met you here. And I enjoy every exchange of ideas we have had. How else does one grow in mind and spirit? The exchange of thoughts and beliefs.
Magic?...yes...Magic!
Hugs and still praying,
Cynthia
Hey Cynthia, seeing eye to eye all the time rarely adds to the conversation. For me, the conversation is part of the magic. Just as you say, we are growing because of each other, and others who care enough to put themselves out there.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your perspective when you write of the benefits of being unemployed. It isn't easy to accept what seems like a blow at the time. It is only with maturity we can learn to say "There is a plan here, and if I accept it somehow it will turn out better than I could have imagined." You might call it God's Plan, while I might not invoke divinity. We still recognize a force for positive change in our lives. That is a basis for a good discussion isn't it? :)
Halle
xxx