Do you believe in magic? I do … maybe a bit too much.
A recent ad in The Dispatch”s classifieds, under “personals,” caught my eye. “Join local magic club,” it said. Wow! Magic in Columbus? Who wouldn”t want to be a part of that?
I imagined sorcerers and wizards, witches and beautiful fairy godmothers, gathering under a full moon, to work amazing feats. Maybe we could all be granted three wishes. Maybe more.
As it turns out, I might have been prematurely excited. Local magician Shawn Evans is forming a club for magicians. That means card tricks, coin tricks, all sorts of sleight-of-hand effects, close-up and stage illusions, too.
Shawn has worked his magic in New Orleans, Las Vegas and Phoenix. Now, in the Golden Triangle, he is bringing together like-minded conjurors. All skill levels are welcome. Beginners may want to learn, and old pros, with a few tricks up their sleeve, may share some secrets. You can learn more at mimesis-magic.com.
I had to run to the dictionary to look up “mimesis.” (After all, I am blonde.) The word means “art”s imitation of life” (Encarta English Dictionary). In some ways, all art is an imitation of life. That”s the goal, anyway.
I knew many magicians in New Orleans. I even dated one, many years before I met my husband. But, the Golden Triangle is different. Magicians are a rare breed here. However, there is no lack of enchantment.
My friend, Beverly, told me about a walk she once took with her grandsons to the very end of the Riverwalk. “I felt that there were fairies all around us,” she told me. “The tree trunks looked like perfect homes for mystical beings. You would have loved it!”
Columbus has lots of charming vignettes, unexpected encounters with scenes so delightful that you have to stop for a moment of wonder. I love to drive the stretch along Airline Road, where the trees arch over the winding path like a canopy. You can almost imagine a faun dashing across the road.
Most of us have heard the story of the wild ram who lives in some wooded areas on the north side of town. The story goes that he escaped from a live crèche some Christmases ago. Although I have never seen him, an acquaintance once told me that he was startled by a huge goat standing at his front door. Just paying a visit, I suppose.
Few visions inspire as much awe as a stained glass window. We have some extraordinary ones in Columbus. Annunciation Catholic Church has windows with colors like illuminated jewels. It”s enough to make an atheist convert.
When speaking of stained glass, we cannot forget the Tiffany window at St. Paul”s Episcopal Church. It is exquisite, historic and immortalized in “Streetcar Named Desire.” I dare any other city to top that!
A stroll through Friendship Cemetery can be filled with curiosity. Imagine the lives of people who lived so long ago. Some say the Teasdale Angel tires of resting on her right arm and switches to her left. Wish I could see that.
So, to all you magicians out there, enjoy your new club. But remember, it”s not easy to compete with the magic of Columbus.
Adele Elliott, a New Orleans native, moved to Columbus after Hurricane Katrina.
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