Magic exists. Well in Vegas it does.

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So last week was my first ever trip to Las Vegas. That’s right folks, I’d never been!

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There for two nights to attend my cousin’s wedding the first night we went to see David Copperfield. Ironically, the illusionist reminded me of the power of truth.

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It doesn’t get more Vegas than David Copperfield’s show at the MGM Grand. His swagger, wind blown hair and piercingly spooky eyes let us know from the start that we were in for an experience not to be forgotten. With every single illusion he performed my mind would race, trying to figure out where the slight-of-hand had moved the entire duck or how he popped a balloon with his mind.

For a moment or two after each illusion we all believed in magic.

There was one illusion which brought me to tears and was a perfect reminder for all writers, artists and storytellers about the power of telling personal stories.

The illusion started with a super 8 film staring David, David’s dad and David’s grandfather. It told of how David’s grandfather didn’t let his father be an actor and never supported David’s career. David’s father also dreamt of owning a beautiful vintage car – the make I can’t remember.

David then collects a series of numbers from the audience’s personal stats/stories and suddenly that car his father dreamed of appears OUT OF NOWHERE!  The numbers David collected from the audience are the numbers on the license plates…….which were locked in a box of course.

Now, maybe you had to be there, but the emotional attachment to this illusion was overwhelming.  We had learned that a man I will never know never had a chance to live his dream as a performer.  Yet, his son stands before me a superstar – no illusion there. This is definitely the universe’s wonderful pay back.

Finally, David tells us that his Grandfather secretly attended one of his shows – they found the ticket in a drawer after he passed.

Tears.

The lesson in all of this, for me, is that all the magic or illusion in the world isn’t as powerful as a truthful and personal story. David had me lost in his family’s story and I had turned off my critical mind, I was truly swept away in the magic – what a performer.

Another illusion he performed had a random word picked by a blindfolded audience member.  Then a blue light revealed we all had that chosen word hand written on our wristbands.

The word was Truth. Well played David- well played.

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Thank you David, for reinforcing that telling one’s own story is more powerful than squishing yourself down to 5 inches or making 13 people disappear! Wow!