12/Jan/2008
Magic: A Cure for Separation Anxiety And Mid-Life Crisis
By Chris Miller
Chris Miller Magic
Shortly after my youngest of four decided to live on the LSU campus, I suffered from separation anxiety, more commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome.” Most men may claim to look forward to this time in their lives but not me. I missed the laughter of my children.
My wife saw this change in my demeanor and suggested I volunteer with children. After looking at different organizations, I chose Volunteers of America and started visiting the Parker House, a home to children that have become wards of the state. Looking for ways to entertain these kids, I pulled out some magic tricks one day that I had learned as a youngster. Their normally sad eyes lit up with excitement when they saw my few little tricks._ws.JPG)
I spent the next day in New Orleans visiting the closest magic supply store and purchased every trick I could afford. I could not wait until my next visiting day. When they were still so excited, I knew I needed more magic.
I decided to order some magic online. I placed an order for more than $1,000 worth and waited for the delivery of my package like a child anticipating Christmas. On the fifth day after ordering, I arrived home to find a package under my carport. I began to tear into it, finding torn newspaper as packing material instead of bubbles or peanuts. I began to be a little concerned about the company I had ordered magic from.
As I unpacked that box I found silk and apparatuses that looked to be extremely old. This was not at all what I ordered. I found a total of 12 items and a note that explained it all. My aging grandmother had just turned 92 and feared that she would soon be placed in a rest home, so she was portioning out her keepsakes to her grandchildren and had sent my grandfather’s box of magic to me. I had never met him and not having spoken to my grandmother in years, she had no idea that I was up to magic or that I had just ordered supplies online.
I’d heard a saying throughout my life: “You don’t get into magic; it gets into you.” I cannot say I had an opinion on this until I opened the package from my grandmother. Immediately upon holding a brass urn known as “Cotton to Coffee” from the 1940s, something happened inside that changed my magic interest into a passion.
I found myself constantly thinking, dreaming, reading and practicing anything to do with magic. I thought my wife was going to leave me because she never saw me anymore. I converted my storage shed into a magic workshop and was there from the time I woke up until I went to bed.
My compulsion is now not as severe, but my passion just gets stronger. Now I entertain children all over the state at schools, private parties, fairs and daycares. I still do a lot of volunteer work but I also get paid handsomely to make kids laugh and scream a couple times a week.
So if you start to feel less self-worth, volunteer your time to help children who would not have anyone otherwise. If it helps you half as much as it has helped me, it will change your life forever.
By Chris Miller
Chris Miller Magic
Shortly after my youngest of four decided to live on the LSU campus, I suffered from separation anxiety, more commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome.” Most men may claim to look forward to this time in their lives but not me. I missed the laughter of my children.
My wife saw this change in my demeanor and suggested I volunteer with children. After looking at different organizations, I chose Volunteers of America and started visiting the Parker House, a home to children that have become wards of the state. Looking for ways to entertain these kids, I pulled out some magic tricks one day that I had learned as a youngster. Their normally sad eyes lit up with excitement when they saw my few little tricks.
I spent the next day in New Orleans visiting the closest magic supply store and purchased every trick I could afford. I could not wait until my next visiting day. When they were still so excited, I knew I needed more magic.
I decided to order some magic online. I placed an order for more than $1,000 worth and waited for the delivery of my package like a child anticipating Christmas. On the fifth day after ordering, I arrived home to find a package under my carport. I began to tear into it, finding torn newspaper as packing material instead of bubbles or peanuts. I began to be a little concerned about the company I had ordered magic from.
As I unpacked that box I found silk and apparatuses that looked to be extremely old. This was not at all what I ordered. I found a total of 12 items and a note that explained it all. My aging grandmother had just turned 92 and feared that she would soon be placed in a rest home, so she was portioning out her keepsakes to her grandchildren and had sent my grandfather’s box of magic to me. I had never met him and not having spoken to my grandmother in years, she had no idea that I was up to magic or that I had just ordered supplies online.
I’d heard a saying throughout my life: “You don’t get into magic; it gets into you.” I cannot say I had an opinion on this until I opened the package from my grandmother. Immediately upon holding a brass urn known as “Cotton to Coffee” from the 1940s, something happened inside that changed my magic interest into a passion.
I found myself constantly thinking, dreaming, reading and practicing anything to do with magic. I thought my wife was going to leave me because she never saw me anymore. I converted my storage shed into a magic workshop and was there from the time I woke up until I went to bed.
My compulsion is now not as severe, but my passion just gets stronger. Now I entertain children all over the state at schools, private parties, fairs and daycares. I still do a lot of volunteer work but I also get paid handsomely to make kids laugh and scream a couple times a week.
So if you start to feel less self-worth, volunteer your time to help children who would not have anyone otherwise. If it helps you half as much as it has helped me, it will change your life forever.
