What the hell is wrong with that guy??
At least this is what I always thought whenever I read about these "endurance trials" that the magician, David Blaine, would put himself through. Obviously, this guy has incredible self-discipline and drive and a phenomenal publicity team behind him. Why would he put himself and his body through such agony? What was he trying to show or prove to the world? Previously, I assumed he did it for the money, fame, gorgeous women.......
For the last week, David Blain has been living in a fishbowl - or should we say cesspool (ewwww- so gross) in downtown NYC. All the talk about him again sparked my agitation and pushed me to do a little research on the guy, which is how I found this quote in Wikipedia.
On April 5, 1999, Blaine spent seven days buried inside a glass coffin at the bottom of an open pit in front of an office building in New York City where passersby could view him, 24 hours a day.
"There were Jewish Hasids standing next to Muslim cabdrivers who were next to Black kids. Businessmen in designer suits stood beside heavily pierced street kids. Every conceiveable social type was represented," recalls Blaine. "I saw something truly incredible. I saw every race, every age-group, and every religion gathered together smiling, and that made everything worth it. I saw magic!"
He's right, that is magic. Bringing people together, to enjoy each other's company, even if it is something so stupid, is really good. Maybe this guy has a whole lot more going on then I first realized. It makes me step back and think about what motivates people and what their intentions are, even if I think their actions are silly.
