I had some real fun this weekend so I thought I'd share.

I'm a hobbyist who is really moving toward regular performing. I don't think of myself as being very good yet, but I am constantly practicing if nothing else.

This weekend my family headed out to my wife's family
reunion. Now frankly, I know three of the the 80 people that were there and none of them know my hobby. Most of the people I don't know there are Mennonite farmers (not a group I'm familiar with) and while I was unsure how magic would go over, I packed my travelling bag with a bunch stuff...more out of habit than anything else. I figured I'd a least amuse myself practing stuff out of RRTCM.

There's a family auction that afternoon. I'm in the very back moving a half into CP and doing a fake transfer to the left hand (and then following it up with a revolving load for the appearance). It's what I do when I'm bored and it's my cleanest move. At
that moment out of the corner of my eye I see one of the teenagers there. He was wide jawed. Immediately he jabs his friend with his elbow. I had a small audience, so I did it again. Silently I did Magic Stoplight Cards on the floor for them and walked out of the hall.

Twenty minutes later I've pulled out a B-2, a deck on cards and an Okito box. I have an improptu audience of 6 kids outside the hall all trying to get me to spill something. After I thought I had placated them with the explanation/sucker version of torn and restored napkin I went back to the auction.

At the end of the auction (which ends the reunion), I found I had the kids plus 20 adults all wanting to see something. So whether I wanted to or not, I got my first formal audience.

I did about five minutes worth of material for them. In the end, I find out that I am now 'scheduled'
to perform for everyone next year and people who didn't know my name last year all know me know now.

The best part was later when my wife said one the guys asked her if I was professional? I am extremely fired up now as I try to figure out where to go now with all of this.

Deerbourne

Well done.

This is the first of many, I am sure.

You are the first person who I know who actually performed Stop Light Cards!

I was at a suzuki music institute a few weeks ago and had a similar situation. In five minutes I had about 20 kids yelling and begging me to "do it again".

Congrats. I seem to be at the same place as you deerbourne, and I know and love the feeling

Congratulations!! It's unexected, seemingly impromptu, performances like that that tend to stay with you (and the spectators) forever. In many ways, they tend to be much more rewarding than prescheduled performances. Sounds like you and everyone around you had a great time.

Mr. Deerbourne:

If I may say...take a person out of their "comfort zone" and the qualities from which they are actually made become visible. I learned (from an OLD book) that this is called "virtue."

I don't wish to say that you were not "comfortable" in performing because, by all indications, you indicate that you were QUITE comfortable. Instead, you went to the reunion with no intention of performing for a crowd, yet you found that you were in a situation to perform. And that you did...virtuously and admirably.

Where to go now? Hmmm...I suggest you start figuring out what you want them to see next year...and do it!
To Winds of Fortune...a toast...

Pop!

Patrick

Very nice!!! Congrats on the great performance.

Well done

I bet you were on a high after that.

I still get that buzz as entertaining people is so much fun.

Paula