I've always denied to myself that I've quit magic completely, but there was no doubt that I had definitely spent significantly less time on the art. I used to stay up late every night with a deck of cards, practicing endlessly. Recently, I only practice once every other day. It's rather sad, I have to say myself. But life gets busy, and I had to prioritize.

I have to admit, I was getting bored too. I suppose I wasn't getting the reactions I was hoping for, and realized I had serious problems with my showmanship. So I spent a good amount of time studying showmanship and reading about presentation in these past few months.

Today was the last day of our school camp trip. It had always been a kind of tradition for me to perform after these trips, and so I decided to do something small and simple. I didn't expect much. So I kick started by doing a simple two-card monte variant to one of the instructors. Applying the new presentation skills I've acquired, I instantly saw the effects. I couldn't really believe it myself. Such a simple trick yielded such great reactions. Instantly, people were crowding for more. I moved on to more advanced tricks, delighted to find that despite my lazy practice schedule and dry, tired hands, the sleights and moves were executed flawlessly.

As an ending to the performance, I chose to experiment with a small routine composed on the spot. I found a box of matches lying on the table, and had a card selected, "lost" into the pack. Flipping over the top card, I was greeted by a wave of disappointment from my audience, expecting to see their chosen card. I stayed calm, and explained that the matches on the table will fix the trick. Striking a match, I waved it over the deck, and extinguished it. A silent pause followed. I picked up the wrong card, and waved it side to side, while letting a flow of smoke escape from my mouth. When the cloud of haze cleared up, the card is revealed to have changed into their selection. The reactions were dazzling. People were cheering, and one of the instructors even asked for my signature on their shirt (in hope that I will become famous one day).

Although my interest in magic has been somewhat diminished throughout the years, and I don't plan to make it my future occupation, it will always have a place in my heart. Needless to say, it was one of my best, if not THE BEST magic performance I have ever done. Experiences like these are rare, and I'm glad to announce that my interest in the art of magic has finally returned.