Tucked away somewhere in the Saskatchewan bush behind many far-flung communities is a small-town entertainer, a magician and a joker who, for decades, has placed magic and laughter in the faces of many children and families. So here I am, reflecting back, and I truly feel blessed, my loftiest goals have oft been attained, and my dearest people still there by my side.
I once had less clarity about how I was going to achieve my goal, and had been uncertain about whether age would derail my plans to move forward. Instead , I dared to cross a whole province spreading optimistic cheer with my antics and catchy rhymes.
In the decade since, I have not just driven all over the province’s beautiful countryside. I've also met towns and monuments, but often I also reached out human to human. Every show has been an opportunity to link into the layers of history that shape the province, and the thickly layered communities that hanker to support oddballs rather than crush them. And in every case I have been loved in return.
The gratification that I've received from my work stems from the joy in my young audience’s faces as they participated in these experiences, as well as their recollections of what occurred years later. From my magic bag came, so to speak, the magic of laughter and inspiration, and with the addition of comedy, magic and puppetry the three main arts of contemporary children’s entertainment were in place.
Still, there’s often a back-room supporter in the shadows, and this person is more important than you think. She is my wife, whose presence and skills have made my performances possible. Her contribution is invisible, but it’s the support that allows me to be onstage, entertaining all of us.
Looking to the future, I believe that I cannot be sure how many years I have left in his race. However, I'm sure that, as long as my time remains, I will make each part of it count. Never to take advantage of what I have.
In the end, my story is of thanks – to clients for giving me the children whose laughter sparked my act, to communities who welcomed me as one of them, and to the loved ones who were with me for the ride along the rollercoaster of good days, bad days, and everything in between while performing. I'll continue to perform and, in doing so, I'll do it with a message of thanks and never letting age or doubts stop me from what I long for.
Far from the glamour of Vegas lights, Saskatchewan's vast skies and rolling fields of wheat contain within them a story about how a dream can become a mission, and how great things – and maybe even magic – can come about when you actually dare the world to ask you, 'what the hell you think you’re doing.'
Comments