Someone asked me, at my
first book signing last month, whether I believe in magic. I was awkward and stumbled for words and felt
like a complete doofus. It’s a question
I should have been prepared for because I wrote a book entitled Magic All Around. But I wasn’t prepared and I didn’t have quick
words to explain what I do or do not believe.
You wouldn’t think it would be such a complex issue, but it is. As a purveyor of words and a proponant of
integrity, it’s a question that I feel compelled to answer honestly.
To answer honestly, I must
start by telling you that I am an atheist and was raised as an atheist. (FYI:
This is NOT an invitation to proselytize and I am NOT open to attempts at
conversion so just DON’T DO IT! Thank
you.) I’ve had a few agnostic moments,
but the notion of a creator isn’t something that makes sense to me. It’s not a concept that resonates or calls to
me. I am a skeptic. Not just regarding religion, but about everything. When I read the results of research, I
question the data collection methods, the sample and the conclusions. I actively reject significant portions of the
culture I live in and when I talk to people, it’s not unusual for me to
question their semantics, their motives or their memory! I know it’s annoying sometimes, (not to
mention distracting) but it’s not malicious.
This is just how I’m built, how I’m wired, how I think. I was not raised to question authority, I was
raised to question and challenge everything. Including my own skepticism. Yes, that does get me chasing my own tail
round and round!
In addition to being a
skeptic, I am an avid observer and lover of life. I’ve observed that life is filled with stuff
that I can’t explain. I am tremendously
skeptical about some of the foundational beliefs of chiropractic practice, but
for many people (including me) chiropractic adjustments can alleviate pain. I am skeptical about the existence of spirits
and ghosts, yet I’ve been moved to goose-bumps and tears by places and
inanimate objects like the Lincoln Memorial and Betsy Ross’s hand stitched
flag. I am deeply skeptical about the
phenomenon of synchronicity and am well-versed in the ways that our minds
filter, sift and sort information to create stories and patterns. Yet, I am still filled with wonder when a new
word, idea or author seems to appear in my life as though to answer a question
I didn’t know I needed to ask.
So, do I believe in magic?
Well, I certainly don’t
expect to be able to teleport and I don’t plan on meeting any tiny winged
humanoids, but I do believe that life is filled with wonder, with potential and
with that which we cannot explain. I do
believe that the wild storms of Southeast Alaska, when the rain blows sideways
and the ocean turns the color of pewter, fill me with energy and a zest for
life. I do believe that the glittering
slime of a slug fills me with delight that all living things have beauty and I
do believe that each of us is capable of far more than we realize. I believe that a single act of kindness can
change a life, I believe that a good nap can transform a problem into a
solution and I believe that a whiff of chocolate has the power to alter our
brain chemistry.
But, do I believe in
magic?
I believe in life. I believe in death. I believe in wonder, awe and
bewilderment. I believe in things that
we cannot explain. I believe in things
that we can explain but that still fill us with amazement. I believe all of it, all the wonder, horror,
beauty, hope, despair, pain, joy…all of it, is magic. This life.
This existence. I cannot explain
it. I don’t subscribe to a religious
explanation and even some of the scientific explanations leave me
skeptical. But it fills me with wonder
and a sense of the majestic, the magnificent and the magical. I do believe in magic.
Magic All Around is
available in digital and paperback formats from Amazon and can be special
ordered for purchase at most brick and mortar bookstores.
May your week be filled with wonder and magic!
