Magic: Welcome Back

When we moved to Toronto, all those many years ago, we were still just boys. We thought of ourselves as men, but really when we see pictures of ourselves from back then, we were just kids. This may explain how 'magic street' came to be. My car had died and lay, a rusting heap, in my parking space at the apartment building where we lived. So we used, as Joe always said, 'shanks' pony' to get around. I liked using Dundonald street when we were crossing, north of where we lived, to Yonge or when travelling south on Yonge crossing back to Church. I maintained that the street was magic.

If you start out on the north side walking east, and walk a straight line you will end up on the south side. As one might predict, then, when walking on the south side in a straight line headed west you'd end up on the north side. Magic, right? The secret behind the magic is that the street has a sharp bend in it. That's all. But the me back then, liked the idea of this little bit of ordinary magic.

So.

A couple years ago we introduced Ruby to the magic street when she was here with us for the weekend on her own. She LOVED magic street. LOVED it. She loved especially explaining, every time, about starting north, ending south, starting south ending north ... using many more words than that. Every time she'd be in the city, she'd ask to walk on magic street. We tried to go when we could but it wasn't often because we usually were going in a different direction when she asked.

Then, as would happen, a little over a year later, she'd asked to go on magic street and it fit with our plan for going over to the splash pad for her to play. We took her down the street, when we got to the bend she said, "Hey! This isn't magic, it's just a bend in the road." I looked at Joe and said, "Well, I guess that's over."

This weekend, when she and her sister we out walking with us, Ruby said, 'Can we go on magic street?' Sadie, who'd been introduced to the street a couple of times, called out, 'Yea! Let's go to magic street.' We were headed, again to the splash pad, so we could easily accommodate the request. Ruby took pains in explaining to Sadie about how magic street worked. Then when the cross over happened, everyone stopped and said, 'Wow, NOW we are on the south side!' Fun.

At the little park, I was sitting in the shade watching the girls play when Ruby came over and sat down on the bench beside me. I asked her why she was still calling it 'Magic Street' when she had been so disappointed when she realized that it was just a bend in the road. She didn't even pause, she said, simply, "Because magic is more fun. I choose magic."

Sitting there, in the shade, I had been feeling old and tired. I've been very busy with multiple projects both at work and in my private practise, I've been stressed out about the constant rounds of medical tests I've been going to, I've been focused a more than a wee bit more about work and worry that about play and pleasure.

And.

I hadn't been choosing to see the magic.

Ruby reminded me that there is a choice involved. I can see the everyday magic about me. I can be that young boy/man who first saw the magic in Magic Street. I can choose magic or I can choose mundane. It's my choice.

Then.

As.

Magic is more fun. I choose magic.