He slowly made his way into the bookstore…unsteady on his feet…
using one of those medical walkers…with wheels and a seat.
Not only did he have trouble walking…but all his words were slurred…
as he greeted me from the doorway, however, my heart immediately stirred
Because once I returned his greeting with a smile…that smile was all it took
for him to tell me he was a magician…in search of magic books.
As we talked he told me he’d had a stroke…something even magic cannot fix
and if there was time when the store was empty…he’d show me some magic tricks.
I looked around and smiled…the store was empty and since I love magic a lot
I said, “There’s no one in the store at the moment…show me what you got!”
He smiled then took out a deck of cards and to my delight and surprise
even with his shaky hands and slurred speech…he had me mesmerized.
He told me the old jokes he tells children when he’s performing…
I’ve heard them all but I laughed at them just the same…
(Being a dad who likes magic and jokes I understand when people think your jokes are lame!)
He wanted to purchase two books on magic…but after all the magic he had spun…
unbeknownst to him…I rang him up for one book…and I bought him the other one.
For I believe in one of the basic tenets of Native American philosophy…
Woven into their traditions and way of life is a belief in reciprocity….
It means if you are given a gift…even something simple like a few tricks from cards kept in an old pack…it is up to you to accept that gift…and then give something back.
It’s true for the Earth…for the plants and the animals…for the waves that break upon our shores…and true for an old unsteady magic man who found his way into my store.
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