Читать книгу Your Vote Is Magic! - Lyn Inc. Dillies - Страница 4

A thousand pairs of eyes were focused on me. I was about to present a king-sized magical illusion—performed live—before this excited crowd. The enormous effort of many talented people and amazing luck along the way had led to this moment. I knew, as with any live performance, there was always the possibility of the unexpected.

With my crew in position and attentively awaiting their cues, I began: “To celebrate our freedom to vote, I’ve created something a little special . . .”

If you had known me as a young girl, the notion of me growing up to become a professional illusionist would have seemed totally impossible. I was born in the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts, the daughter of Loretta and Calvin Dillies. As far back as I can recall, I was painfully shy. I never raised my hand in class to answer a question and would hide behind my parents when introduced to someone new. It seems ironic to think back to my first magic show experience. I was eight years old when I watched an elderly vaudeville-style magician perform in my elementary school auditorium. I was so nervous that he might pick me as a volunteer to go onstage that I slid way down in my seat so he wouldn’t see me. The good thing was that he could have never spotted me, but the bad thing was I never saw the show!

When I was ten years old, my parents and I moved to a lovely, small town called Westport, Massachusetts. I left the Hathaway Elementary School in New Bedford and was now enrolled in the Westport Middle School. Even though I didn’t enjoy my elementary school experience very much because I was so shy, it was a piece of cake compared to my new school. At least I had a couple of good friends in my old school. At the new school, I was bullied for the first few years and consequently detested going to school every day. In the Westport Middle School, I felt like I was thrown into a pack of wolves. I would come home every day with a headache or stomach ache. Fortunately, I lived in a wonderful neighborhood and made some good friends, one of whom is still a best friend today. My nickname in the hood was “pick,” short for toothpick because of my very slender build. Little did I know how that slender build would serve me for my future career!

Perhaps a seed was planted when I experienced that first magic show from my sunken chair position, because at twelve years old I watched a television show called “The Magician,” starring the late Bill Bixby. He played the part of a magician who owned a private jet and used his magic to fight crime. I was thoroughly intrigued by his magic, enough so that my father took me to a local magic shop. He bought me a few tricks that were small enough to fit in one’s pocket. I practiced and practiced until they were perfected and then brought them to school with me. It felt so natural for me to be showing the tricks in the lunchroom, in class, and even on the school bus. Lo and behold, I started making friends and becoming a little popular. The magic was so empowering for me. It all just clicked and totally transformed my life.

Now, I couldn’t wait to come home from school to work on my magic. I was consumed with it. I read lots of magic books and made most of my own tricks. All of my school notebooks had scribbles and doodles of tricks I wanted to perform or create. I walked up and down the local highway collecting aluminum cans to turn in for money. Counting every penny, I made a “wish list” of tricks I wanted to buy. Aft a while, I began to walk around my neighborhood carrying a cardboard box containing homemade tricks, then I’d ring a neighbor’s doorbell and ask if he or she would like to see show. After being welcomed in, I’d set up a TV table in the living room, do my little show, pack up and walk to the next house. I’m sure that after a few months, when the doorbell rang my neighbors would hide and pretend that they weren’t home!

Finally, after saving all my money, I had enough to buy my first big professional trick. The cost was $50.00. When I went to the magic shop to purchase it, I was so nervous about spending that amount of money that I passed out cold. If I knew then how much money a big illusion show would cost to put together today, I would have never gotten up off the floor!