It's Magic!

I loved attending magic shows as a kid. Not just the PC Sorcars of the world, but even regular small time magicians. I remember being fascinated with the concept as a kid since a much older cousin showed me the ‘thumb splitting’ trick. Only when I was in serious danger of injuring my thumb, did he tell me how he did it.

Before science came along and explained everything (and I’m thankful that it did!), ancient humans knew magic when they saw it – in shooting stars, in the cycles of the sun and moon, in the rains and floods, in herbs they picked in the forest – everywhere.

So is the magic gone just because science is here? Far from it, in my opinion. We still see it everywhere; it’s just that we don’t perceive magic for what it is. We’ve gotten so used to the wonders of technology in our hands and on our office desks that we fail to recognize them for what they are. Magic is not just limited to J K Rowling. It’s not just about a bunch of people dancing in a circle and chanting incantations. 

Magic is closer than we think. It’s still everywhere.

Seen a video of Hitler making a point in his speech to his supporters? Or to Charlie Chaplin sending you into peals of laughter through his antics? What about Dire Straits in concert, sending one and all into a delightful space?

I was fortunate enough to see magic up close in a recent trip to a forest, during which, my friends and I saw a sight that will probably stay with us forever (in some way or form). There was a baby Langur, not older than a couple of weeks, clinging to a tree, squealing his lungs out. 

We stopped our safari vehicle on instinct, and thought it would be a good idea to see this sight and how it plays out. As the heart-wrenching squealing continued, we wondered whether the baby was orphaned, as there were Langurs close by, none bothered by his cries.

Just as we thought that if this continued, the attention of a predator would be attracted, we saw the mother Langur rushing in towards the little one. The instant the mother reached out to the baby and held him, the squealing stopped. Instantly. Magic.

So go ahead, look for magic – it’s all around us, always has been!

And when you find it, take a moment to reflect in wonder, and that moment will stay with you for a long time…