Editor’s Letter
He was Dave, the Great Magician. As the little sis’ forced to be in his act, I was Sue, the Lovely Assistant, by way of introduction. We had a routine, my brother and me. Move over Houdini. Here’s Dave the Great and little Sue. Except I wasn’t a very good assistant. I was clumsy. Distracted. Not so much the committed type. But, when I focused through a full show (never happened), I learned a lot. There were tricks, you see, to being a magician’s assistant. A great magician has a great assistant. A stinky magician has, well, Sue.
>> W e want to hear from YOU!
We love your letters—simply email comments to sue@lakelifemagazine.com.
>> Pssst. We like you. And
we hope you like us, too... so why not ‘like’ us on Facebook? Let’s have fun online—join our page and let’s chat in real-time. See you on the digital side!
>> Do YOU have a favorite
neighbor, server, bartender or chef to nominate for exposure in LAKElife Magazine? Great! Drop us a line at sue@lakelifemagazine.com.
4
LAKElife Magazine July 2020
Not that my brother was stinky. He was a good magician for being 10 years old. But my lack of grace, and well, interest, stagnated his propulsion into Magic Fame. That fame pretty much flopped like the fake bunny can I bumped over. But there were some magical powers I learned as a flunkie assistant. For one, way before my friends knew their N-S-E-W directions, I learned north from south—an imperative skill for properly placing trick items, thus giving Dave the Great his telepathic powers. This knowledge really came in handy as I casually directed friends to the tire swing on the east side of the house. They both were impressed and irritated. Cool. But another lesson learned as a 7-yearold assistant was the reactive power in magical illusion. The delight. There’s a raw awe that spreads. People smile. There was instantaneous joy when Dave the Great surprised someone with his magical prowess, despite the fumbling assistant sidekick.
As I was pondering my past Fourth of July celebrations, a similar sense of awe, delight—and even nostalgia—came to mind. Just like the thrill in watching magic, so it is with Fourth of July fireworks celebrations. Of the delighted awe from children as they twirl about, double-fisted with lit sparklers (yes, carefully). There’s serene comfort from a hot July evening, when the family is sun-kissed, relaxed and winding down for the night. July is prime time for backyard picnics, family reunions, patriotic décor and American flags gracefully waving with pride from docks and porches. And this year, perhaps in particular, may we embrace these small moments. May we delight in giggles, drippy popsicles on the dock, bare feet racing through the yard— and may we both notice and appreciate the magical delight and nostalgia that emerges to warm the soul. Happy Birthday, America. May we celebrate the Fourth of July at the lakes with intentional appreciation. It needn’t be fancy, just real. And if your home houses a young Dave the Great, give him the spotlight for a bit. And enjoy the unvarnished stumbles of his miniassistant. Thank you for being with us. This magazine is for you.
Executive Editor-who-is-not-a-goodmagician’s-assistant sue@lakelifemagazine.com
