Received an email earlier from the inimitable Steve Faulkner. I think it’s worth reproducing here:

Here’s why I love magic.

Yesterday, along with a few other magicians, I was lucky enough to be performing for the Sponsors and VIPs at the ‘Manchester United Vs Manchester City’ match at Old Trafford. It was great and everybody was lovely. We tend to perform in the suites before the match, at half-time, and for about forty-five minutes after the match.

It’s that forty-five minutes that I was dreading, when I saw that the score was 3-1. Then it got worse. As I was preparing for the post-match session, I was informed by a teary-faced waiter that the score was 6-1. I obviously asssumed I had misheard and there followed a repetitive conversation which pretty much went like this:

“6-1!”

“6-1?”

“Yes 6.1… I want to kill myself.”

“You’re joking… 6-1?”

“Worst defeat here since 1926.”

“6  F*^&)ing  1!?” etc….

I then stood outside the box of one of the main sponsors, AON and was asked if I could “go in and cheer them all up”?

Brilliant.

I prepared, thought of my family, and went in. Now of course everybody was in a terrible mood and I was greeted with the usual, “If you’re that good can you change the score!?” I was honest and said something along the lines of, “If I was that good, I wouldn’t be standing here. Lovely as you are.” That got a bit of a laugh and broke the atmosphere a little.

I then went into the magic and the unexpected happened. They loved it. They laughed, gasped and reacted in the usual way that one would expect from good, strong magic (if I do say so myself). But more importantly, they forgot. For that eight or so minutes they forgot about the heartache, they forgot about the disappointment, and they pretty much forgot about everything. And when it comes down to it, isn’t that the point of entertainment? Whether it’s magic, comedy, dance, theatre, movies, Coronation Street or opera, we need those sacred moments when we forget. It’s easy to get jaded when you are a performer as we get so used to doing what we do. So I’m glad I’m a magician.

It’s nice.

Just a little shared thought.

Steve

A good thought to share. Thanks Steve. (Couldn’t you have cheered them up by reminding them that it’s just a game after all…?)