When my husband, Rick, was in college, he was interested in card magic. He enjoyed keeping everyone entertained at get-togethers, and learning new tricks was as high on his to-do list as was studying. As time passed, his interest waned, and it became merely something he did during his college days.

Six years ago, our then 5-year-old grandson, Owen, was gifted a child’s magician’s kit. It included a hat, wand, vest, a “rabbit,” and a handkerchief.  This sparked an interest in Owen, and he decided he wanted to perform a magic show at a family Thanksgiving gathering. Rick and I volunteered to help him put his act together, and it was truly magical. (Read about this fun event in It’s Magic)

Owen’s show brought to the surface Rick’s long-buried enthusiasm for card magic. It started again as an interest, then  became a full-fledged hobby, but I’m pretty sure it now classifies as an obsession. He has an untold number of books about card magic and who-knows-how-many decks of cards (from collectibles to throw-aways). He has posters of famous magicians, has visited magic museums, and is friends with the owners of the magic stores in our area. Did you know that there are pencil holders with hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds on them? And desk trays too? I’m sure there is every type of magic-related merchandise possible, just not all of it has made it into our house yet.

Rick has over 100 card tricks that he can perform now. He’s performed them for family and friends, he’s captivated audiences at dining room tables on cruises we’ve been on, and he is never without a deck or cards in his pants pocket. (You just never know when an opportunity might arise to have some fun.)   Last night he had his first performance for his largest audience at the Newport Beach Police Department Retirees Christmas party. These were his fellow officers, men he had worked with for years. He knew these guys sense of humor and that they might be a tough audience.

Was he nervous? A tad.

But he did great. Everyone enjoyed the show. They were entertained, they laughed, they clapped…… and Owen would have been so proud.