There’s a circus performer staying at my house this week. Her name is Anissa. She’s one of my handstand teacher’s students. Anissa’s in town for an intensive handstand seminar. 5 hours a days, all she does is stand on one arm. She comes home at 8pm, sore, tired, but wakes up and goes again the next day.
I don’t know her. She needed a place to stay and I had an extra room. I thought it’d be cool to meet someone who creates magic for me. Every time I’ve gone to the circus, my eyes are stuck to the stage. I can’t help but get lost in the wonderland of acrobatics and contortionist tricks. They take my heart and make it sparkle. Deep down, I’ve always wanted to know how they made magic real.
When Anissa came over, I tried to question her. How’d you do it? Why’d you do it? How does it feel up there? She’s a quiet person so I thought I have to try harder to find out. But after a few days of watching her comings and going, and after a few days of asking the same questions over and over again, I think I’m starting to understand.
Anissa and probably most performers like her put in the work. At least 5 hours a day, even back home and when she’s on tour, she’s standing on one hand. She told me she can barely move her arms yesterday. They’re so sore from the seminar. This morning, I heard her wake up at 8am again, ready to handstand. Who would have guessed that the secret to magic was as simple hard work?
“One of my handstand teachers students” you are full of so many interesting and magical surprises yourself Yehudis!
Indeed, put another way, the secret to magic is the capacity to endure the "mundanity of excellence."
An article on the topic (I haven't read yet but loved the title).
https://fermatslibrary.com/s/the-mundanity-of-excellence-an-ethnographic-report-on-stratification-and-olympic-swimmers