MAGIC

A typical stage magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means. These feats are called magic tricks, effects, or illusions.

And then, there’s Reality magic. The grandest of the illusions performed at the brightest stage there is, life.

Reality is the illusionist.

We are the audience.

 

I. The Pledge.

Reality shows us something that appears ordinary but is probably not, making use of misdirection. It seems normal and fair but all is not what it seems. It could start as a normal day like any other, same time you wake up, same routine, and then there’s a split second of coincidence that de-cloaks the awaiting magic.

This would be the time when your mind and heart is free from any form of suspicion. No matter how cautious you are, you can never escape it cause’ no one can ever expect or foretell how the setup, the pledge would be introduced.

This is the perfect time for the illusionist to introduce to us his assistant, love.

 

II. The Turn.

Next is the performance, or the “Turn,” where the illusionist makes the ordinary act extraordinary.

You wake up one day and realize that everything has changed. Everything went so fast, and you start questioning yourself if you have done enough to catch up with the flow, or if you should really go with the flow.

By this time the illusion has started. Reality most likely had directed all your attention to his assistant making you care less of what is happening outside the theater, or even how your seatmate is doing.

Suddenly, all the things that you do, everything that you wanted, and most of the plans that you would be building for the following days will evolve around the assistant. The illusionist would make you crazy over his assistant like a child is to his first toy. You’ll never get over it. Even if you do in the future, none will make you forget it.

Just when you are so into it, when love has been the apple of your eye, the illusionist will close the magic box, will pull down the curtain of chances and confusion to cover it and within a countdown, the assistant would disappear.

The colorful magic box full of hopes and promises that once held the assistant would also be the same box that made her disappear. Gone from sight, and maybe gone for good.

All of these are misdirection. All real and, yet, you WANT to believe that these problems are solvable at the wave of a wand by the Illusionist.

 

III. The Prestige

Lastly, there is the “Prestige,” where the effect of the illusion is produced.

There are “twists and turns, where lives hang in the balance and you see something shocking you’ve never seen before.” Or maybe something familiar but you refuse to accept that it’s the same stories only different situations.

Makes you hope that the illusionist would approach us and ask for the grand ending we prefer, just like what a performing clown would do on our birthday party held in our own backyard. That will not happen, because you’re not at home, you’re not the illusionist’s master, you are on the biggest stage called life, you are already a part of his performance.

You made yourself too attached with the assistant, now there’s no going back. There’s no use trying, even if you’d be able to get a step back, nothing will be the same again.

And then with the just a wave of a wand, the assistant would reappear. But there’s a catch; the place where the assistant would reappear changes for an added impact. It may be on the same box where she left, on the center stage where you can see her but cannot reach, beside another audience, or if you are lucky, and you have proven to be the best audience around, Reality might be kind enough to make her assistant reappear at your lap, where you can appreciate the prestige way better than anyone else inside the theater would.

This is just a phase; the illusionist has hundreds of tricks off his sleeves. He has many more charms to pull off his hat. There are many other forms of diversions; the stage called life where reality performs has many hidden surprises.

Above everything, what matters is that your assistant is back in sight. She’s okay, but it doesn’t mean that she will get near you to shake your hand, thank you for being there and ask you for a coffee after the show.

Confettis will fall, pop ups will blow, flashes of lights will go brighter, and the act is done. You walk away from the event thinking that what you saw can’t be real yet you still believe.

I believe. I will never get tired of magic. And I will one day break the magician’s code.

Fade to black…

Men Have Feelings Too, They Just Express Them Differently

credits to elite.com

Women all over continually complain about how men do not show their emotions; however, when they finally do — these women are in for a rude awakening. A man’s emotions are often times confusing and sometimes contradictory. Do not fret if you cannot understand your man’s emotions, chances are he cannot either.

People have the preconceived notion that men simply do not have feelings. This is far from the case. The problem is in the fact that women believe men should feel things the way they do. The truth is that men have a much harder time processing these feelings. Men are taught from an early age that they need to be strong, confident and stoic. They begin to equate emotions with weakness.

Societal expectations have “taught” men not to display any emotions. This becomes a huge problem in relationships because men suppress their feelings since they tend not to have socially acceptable emotional outlets. They do not want to seem “emasculated” for caring about someone or something on a deeper level.

It is very obvious that men and women differ in the way they each express their emotions, but the difference is how they outwardly express and react to them. Scientifically, it has been proven that men tend to use the left side of their brain, which is where reasoning lies, whereas women tend to use the right side of their brain, which is attributed to emotion. This is what gives women the greater ability to comprehend people and express their emotions more efficiently.

 

Women tend to have many more intimate relationships in their lives than do men. Females confide with their friends about issues in relationships far more than men do, for the fear of being judged or looking like a “girl.” Of course, this is not the case for all men, but for a lot of them — it is. Women are generally more expressive than men, which allows them to build these intimate relationships with other people. Since men have a somewhat difficult time expressing themselves, they tend not to interact with others on such an emotional level.

I’ve seen many female friends in a tumultuous emotional state over their breakup or about problems in their relationships. They tend to deal with the problem at hand and move on pretty quickly. They embrace their emotions and feel every little thing. This is healthy because it allows them to acknowledge and analyze every feeling they can, so they can move on in their lives.

Males have been socialized to suppress excessive, outward emotion and this is detrimental to both men and women. The average man is just as emotional as a woman, if not more so, he just expresses it in different ways. Men seem much more likely to grow angry or bitter about a relationship gone wrong, and much more likely to do desperate and crazy things to reaffirm a relationship they want to keep. They seem to wear the bitter pants for a lot longer than women do.

Men typically explode when they become angry since rage remains the exemplary male emotion. Men are usually ridiculed if they express the softer emotions, especially in the presence of other men.

Societal norms really seem to be the driving force for this “phenomenon.” The different ways men and women display their emotions can cause a lot of confusion when they communicate with one another. It is imperative that we make ourselves aware of these differences, so that we are able to converse more successfully, while building relationships with other people.

 

When your dreams turn to dust, vacuum

Life is what we make out of it. Decisions dictate our journey, and bet on it, not all of our choices in this adventure called life would turn out good, and at times of despair, at the moment of fall and broken dreams, quitting is the worst next step to take. Yes, gathering yourself up after a severe drop could be quite a task, but the reward from such would be all worth it.

It takes courage to succeed, and requires a bigger heart to do so after a severe fall. Some dream happens, and some just don’t. It is how we react to it that decides whether our story would be an epic failure or another happy ending.