I like vanishing or changing the size of my Starbucks card. They used to have a smallish sized card which was easy to vanish or change into the larger size via shuttle pass. Each day it gets me to perform something and the reaction is always one of surprise.

I bite the coins in half I get for change every now and then.

Just last night I ordered a pizza and when the delivery guy arrived he gave me my change after I paid and he handed me back several ones. I took them and began to joke about if there were clowns during George Washington's time and I joked about him even being a clown himself and at the same time, I pulled a sponge ball from the dollar as it could have been his clown nose and did my spongeball routine and he loved it....

I do magic every day for a stranger!

Here's another for instance. I'm currently at an ARMY seminar at Virginia beach. As most Americans I'm a huge fan of salt water taffy. I stopped in at a local shop and picked out my candies and pulled out a dollar bill and handed it to the cashier and my total was clearly mote than a dollar, 16 to be exact. She looked at me like I was crazy as I put my wallet back in my pocket. She repeats "$16.34 is your total sir..." so I said "oh I'm sorry" as I took the bill back and preceded to perform greed by Daniel Garcia and handed her back the 20 at the end.... She was astounded and exclaimed "YOU SIR, JUST MADE MY FREAKING DAY!"

Many years ago, I was at a company function at a restaurant. As we were leaving, there was a kid at a table with his family that was being just a bit tough to handle. I went over and did a simple "f****h d**p" coin vanish. The kid shut up, the parents thanked me, and they had me autograph their paper placemats!

I felt good all night!

While making any money transaction, pull out Extreme Burn and claim to not have enough money. Change the bills into 20's and pay the bill. Nobody ever expects it, and it truly makes you look magical since it appears unplanned.

If I am out and about, more often than not I will do something for any kids around. I found myself at the hospital a lot lately with my mother (who has had many visits this past year). On one occasion I ended up showing some kids the Chained trick, a half dollar production and flurry and silk and TT routine. These kids were practically out of control before I approached them and were giving their mom all she could handle (3 boys). They were very settled down, watched and enjoyed my stuff and the mom thanked me and everyone was all smiles by the time I finished. It was great. I usually approach strangers simply by saying "want to see something weird"? And then do whatever I am going to do. I also have a good time showing kids (and everyone else who ends up watching) stuff while standing in line for attractions at Disneyland. We go there a lot, being residents of Southern California and having annual passes. I always meet and talk to new people when I am there, mostly out of town/state folks who are very friendly. I find that a silk(s)/TT routine is a very good choice in those situations. At Disneyland all you got to do is ask the kids if they like magic (they're in the magic kingdom right?) and go to it! LOL

Glen

Jeff McBride has a saying that should apply to every serious magician and student of magic, no matter your venue or style: "The world is your stage."

This can apply whether you have a single effect on your person at all times to perform at any instant, or if you do as Geoff Pfeiffer did and pull a quarter out of a seashell without any preparation at all, or as Mike Maturen did, vanishing a coin and walking away. When you can borrow any object and proceed to blow people away, that is absolutely a creation of a magical moment. It is even more so when you can just find an object, rather than borrowing it.

As for my own moment, I have two:

When I was 14 I used to voluntee as a walkaround magician at a very upscale nursing home near my home. One day when I just went in to visit - no performing at all planned - I came across an 84 year old lady that struck up a conversation with me because I looked like her grandson. As it turns out, we really did look very much alike. We sat in a sunroom, drank iced blueberry juice and chatted for about 40 minutes when she started talking about her prized miniature poodle that had just died a week before. She was still upset about it, and I noticed she was wearing 3 or 4 white plastic pearl bead necklaces. According to the home staff, she just liked the way they looked and saw no need to spend money on more of the real ones, which she had handed down to her eldest daughter-in-law. Anyway - I asked her if I could borrow one and be allowed to break it. She looked at me kind of funny, but agreed. I started to twist a pearl poodle out of a small strand of the beads as I asked her what the name of her dog was. By the time she finished telling me, I had the pearl poodle finished and in fingerp***m. I snapped another small strand off the necklace and placed it into her hand via the Bobo S****h. I told her to think of her dog, and wish him well, and her wish would be granted. As she opened her hand to find the poodle, she laughed and a smile just filled her face from ear to ear. I told her that now, she would always have a momento of her dog, whose name was Julián.

My second in the moment memory was when I was back in Spain visiting family last year. We went to a little Café nearby, which was popular for serving little rolled cookies called neules. There was a little girl at a table near us as we were leaving who had asked mom for money to buy a tin of them, and as she got to the counter with her Euro 5 and she realized she was short by 2.5 Euro, she went and told mom, who showed her a now empty change purse. They had just finished holiday shopping and were headed home. The little girl was so sad and disappointed. She was wearing a dress with long sleeves and I looked at both and said, "Wait a minute...do you hear that?" They both said, "No, what?" With permission I then took hold of the little girl by the hand to raise her arm up and pull two Euro 1 coins out of her sleeve and handed them to her. Her eyes instantly grew wide and she was in utter disbelief. It was funny because she immediately looked in her sleeve, held it open and said, "Hey I still need more!" I took her Euro 5 and folded it up in a square and gave it to her to hold between her cupped hands. I told her to close her eyes and make a wish. As she unfolded the bill, she found the half a Euro she needed. The mother (in stunned silence) thanked me, and I walked out.

These are the two examples I use which shows that you can be amazed and effected in such a way at any age. I like a lot of the ones listed above though!

Ha ha the poor mans shell game... lol Awesome

Excellent, great story.

Thanks for all of the great ideas. Makes me want to get out there now and do some shopping.

Thanks for posting your experience Dr. Ayala, it was a wonderful read for certain.
Have a fine evening!

While this isn't strictly On Topic, I had a great one last night when I was working my monthly pitch;

I had noticed a young lady and her friends on the periphery of the crowd and noted that she was special needs and wheelchair bound- and couldn't see that well, but looked desperately interested.

Now this stabs straight to my heart for more than one reason, the main being that my wife is also disabled and wheelchair bound. I know the frustrations that accompany it and the unintentional rudeness of people. They just don't stop and *think* that they might be in the way or impeding your view- they're just oblivious.

I was determined that I wasn't gonna let this go on, so I finished my effect, moved OUTSIDE my circle and went to her.

Started with my french drop routine and ended with my D'Lite routine. I was pulling them out of her ears, nose, under the chair... all over the place- making her the center of focus.

Her face lit up like a thousand Christmas trees and the giggles, smile and look of joy she had stayed with me all night.

THAT, my friends, was magic.

Not the tricks, the effects...

Her smile.

Wonderful work Ekuth! That's what I'm talking about guy! Excellent and thanks so much for sharing this moment with us.

I just noticed your post from October 3, Devious. Thanks for the comment!

Ekuth, that is absolutely wonderful! If one could perform the worst magic effect in the world and still elicit a smile, and from a person in a situation like that, that really is all the magic one would need. You said it best - that truly is real magic! Thanks for sharing!