There he was, hanging upside down, above New York City. Forty feet in the air, strapped tight in a straight jacket, like some bat, wrapped in its wings, He spun around, writhing and thrashing, as the crowd below watched, mouths wide open. The amazing Harry Houdini, on this date, June 12, 1923, eventually freed himself from that straight jacket, much to the amazement of the onlookers. His stunts, his tricks, his magic, all so grand, were watched by all the world.
Yes, most of his capers involved escaping from some horrendous trap, some dangerous snare.
We can compare another magician here too, although she worked a magic of a different sort. Today is the birthday of Anne Frank, born June 12, 1929.
We all know her, a German-born Dutch Jewish national. When she was just 13 years old, Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam. They hid because they were trying to escape the persecution of the Nazis, who had occupied the Netherlands. This, in 1942.
Another kind of escape, this one too great, even for Houdini.
We know that the Franks were betrayed two years later and were sent to concentration camps. Eventually, young Anne died there. Her life, no more.
During those years, as they hid, Anne wrote that diary, from June 1942 to August 1944. It has been read by millions and millions of people, exposing the truths about the Nazis and about her fate, all because she was a Jew. That diary is regarded as the most famous personal account of the Holocaust.
Her magic came long after her death, as people read her words. Her escape was into that diary, for moments at a time, as she wrote.
The world is full of magicians.
Some perform tricks.
And others perform magic.
May you always know the difference.
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“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
― W.B. Yeats
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“It’s still magic even if you know how it’s done.”
― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky
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“Magic’s just science that we don’t understand yet.”
― Arthur C. Clarke
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Magician. Escaping. A wonder to see.
