Magic is often associated with mystery and wonder, as it seems to defy the laws of reality and logic. People are often captivated by the idea of magic tricks and illusions, as they provide a sense of awe and excitement. However, it is important to remember that magic is simply a form of entertainment and not a true supernatural power. Magicians are skilled performers who have mastered various techniques and sleight of hand to create illusions that appear magical. They use misdirection and other psychological tricks to distract the audience and make it seem like they are performing the impossible. It is this element of surprise and deception that makes magic tricks so intriguing to watch.
Paul gives the admonition to not grow weary, I believe, because the temptation is real. The effort required to do the right deed at the right moment for the right reason will sap your resolve dry. And doing good to my family of eight . . . and church of four hundred with a staff of five . . . and coaching my children’s sports teams . . . and holding a seat on the school board . . . and leading strong in all things and apologizing quickly for my many mistakes . . . and making time to run a few miles and do a few push-ups . . . and maintaining the side-hustle of editing articles and writing words is what I mean when I speak of the moments like water that pour and pour and pour while in vain I try to catch them.
But I left that night wondering if the Lord might have a word for me as well, even as I pondered the ways Christians have abused words from the Lord. In December, as I sing Joy to the World, I find comfort in the lines in the third stanza about how Christ comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found.
It is this element of surprise and deception that makes magic tricks so intriguing to watch. Magic tricks can take many forms, from card tricks and disappearing acts to levitation and mind reading. Some tricks may be simple and easy to explain, while others may require more skill and practice to execute.
Five Writers
I hate grammar. I have been putting off this post, because I hate grammar. I used to be good at it. Now I’ve forgotten everything except the occasional comma rule. And capitalization, I’m pretty good at that. And incomplete sentences. (I’m really good at those.) And run-on sentences. And subjective vs objective pronouns. Okay, so I guess I remember more than I thought. But I can never remember the quotation mark rules. Or what the heck a semicolon is for (other than making a smirk – I’m also good at that.) Or what pluperfect is. And the people who know those things – the writers who know those things – they intimidate me. There I said it. Because writers need impeccable grammar. Right? I mean, that’s what I always thought.
Lillian Spears, 1976
Since I wanted to be a writer, I worked hard to be a whiz at grammar. And I learned from the best. Lillian Spears instilled terror in the hearts of every student at Beaufort Academy. She graded our papers with a red pen in hand. At three grammar errors she stopped grading and gave you a big fat F. And you didn’t graduate without passing her class. (FYI, just about anyone who ever took her class will tell you she is one of their favorite teachers.) We diagrammed the Pledge of Allegiance. We had a contest where we recited as many prepositions as we could in one minute. (I won. My Yankee pace completely overwhelmed my Southern classmates.) And you will never find a homophone error in a Facebook posting from one of my high school friends.
And then I spent 20 years in advertising. Where breaking grammar rules was not just a rite of passage, it was an Olympic event. (I have a couple of Gold medals.) And then I became a playwright.
As a playwright knowing your grammar is both a blessing and a curse.
The Blessing: Because I know how to effectively break the rules, I can use punctuation to tell an actor how to read a line. Let’s take this line from my farce Word War.
“Maybe they had this really big decoration – like a weather balloon – yeah, that’s it – and it fell off the ceiling and landed on the floor right in front of her and it was filled with . . . filled with . . . red food coloring and it splashed all over her dress.”
Okay, first of all, it’s a run-on sentence. It’s missing at least 3 commas (probably more) – but the lack of commas tells the actors that there is no stop or break or pause in the thought. Then we have a couple of dashes. These mean there’s a change in thought – sort of a parenthetical, but not. The ellipsis – my favorite punctuation mark by the way – (it is weird that I have a favorite punctuation mark?) means you just kind of trail off. Usually the character is thinking or perhaps they have just run out of words, I mean, you know . . .
They’re. Not. Real.
This is a line earlier in the play. Here the periods act like little tiny stop signs. It’s still one thought, one sentence. But you pause after Each. Individual. Word.
So those are the blessings. Knowing how punctuation works means I can manipulate the punctuation to communicate delivery.
The Curse: Once you know good grammar, bad grammar can never slip by. For me, bad grammar is like the sound of the dentist’s drill when it first makes contact with your teeth. I wince. I cringe. I want to throw my hands over my ears. “Her and me are going to the store.” “I got my nails did yesterday.” “She’s more smarter than anyone in the class.”
But people talk like this. Especially in my neck of the woods. So to write effective grammar, I sometimes have to use bad subject pronoun agreement, the wrong tense, double negatives. And I can’t. I mean, I can – obviously there are times I have to – but it feels so . . . I don’t know . . . like when people try to imitate the Kennedy accents. I’m always afraid that although the intentionally bad grammar in my dialogue sounds authentic to my ears, to someone who’s used to a real Boston accent, it just comes across as fake. Or I worry that people will think I am making fun of someone.
So, yes, using bad grammar can sometimes be smart. When it is confined to the dialogue. Write something like “Their are two chairs in the room.” in the setting or “Her and Joe exit.” in the stage directions and the reader will toss your script aside and pick up the next in the large stack on the desk.
But does grammar matter outside the worlds of writing or academia? A few years ago when I married my high school sweetheart – a fellow survivor of Lillian’s English class – I wrote a flash non-fiction piece for the wedding announcement. And I sent it to Lillian. When her response arrived, I opened the envelope with great trepidation half-expecting a myriad of red slashes across the page. Instead, her very sweet note included the comment: “Your well-written story deserves an A+.” With incredible pride I posted her comment on Facebook. And the congratulations flowed in from my high school classmates. Not for the marriage – but for the A+. So yes, several decades years removed from high school, people still care about grammar. Yes, they does. (Ouch!)
For the last two years, however, I’ve found a verse from the Lord in retrospect, by accident really—if you believe in accidents.
Regardless of the complexity, the goal of a magician is always to entertain and astonish the audience. However, it is important to remember that magic is not real. It is simply a performance art that relies on the skill and creativity of the magician. While some may try to claim supernatural powers, it is always a trick or illusion at play. The true magic lies in the ability of the magician to create an experience that leaves the audience in awe and wonder. In conclusion, magic is a captivating form of entertainment that uses tricks and illusions to create a sense of wonder. Magicians are skilled performers who master various techniques to deceive and surprise their audience. While magic may appear supernatural, it is important to remember that it is simply an art form and not a true supernatural power. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the magic show!.
Reviews for "The Spellbinding Effects of Misdiom Magic on the Mind"
1. John - 2/5 stars - "I had high hopes for 'Magkc xuts misdiom' based on its intriguing premise, but I was sorely disappointed. The writing felt disjointed, with a lack of clear direction throughout the entire story. The characters were also one-dimensional and I found it difficult to connect with any of them. Additionally, the pacing was uneven, with moments of intense action followed by long stretches of monotony. Overall, I found 'Magkc xuts misdiom' to be a tedious and unsatisfying read."
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars - "'Magkc xuts misdiom' was a complete waste of my time. The plot was confusing and convoluted, making it difficult to follow along and understand what was happening. The writing style was also clunky and filled with unnecessary descriptions that did nothing to enhance the story. I hoped that the characters would be a saving grace, but they were incredibly boring and lacked any depth or complexity. I cannot recommend 'Magkc xuts misdiom' to anyone who values their time and wants a coherent and engaging read."
3. Alex - 2/5 stars - "I struggled to get through 'Magkc xuts misdiom' as it was riddled with grammatical errors and typos. The poor editing and proofreading distracted me from the actual story, making it a frustrating reading experience. Additionally, the world-building was underdeveloped, leaving me feeling disconnected from the setting. The potential for an interesting and immersive fantasy world was present, but it fell short in execution. With more attention to editing and world-building, 'Magkc xuts misdiom' could have been a more enjoyable read."