Back in the spring of 2015, I performed in my first Moth Ball, The Moth’s annual charity event to fund their education programs throughout the year. As a GrandSLAM champion that year, I took the stage and told a 90-second version of my GrandSLAM winning story.
Later in the night, as the dancing began, a Moth staffer asked me to return to the dining room for a meet-and-greet with a donor. Elysha told me that she would go use the restroom and meet up with me later, so off I went.
In the now empty dining room, I was paired with a writer from the New Yorker and told that the donor wanted me to tell my story again so he could record it with his phone.
I agreed, of course. Anyone willing to give to The Moth is okay in my book.
The donor was introduced to me as “David,” and as space was made for me to tell my story again, I made small talk with David.
“So,” I said, “Have you ever told a story onstage before?”
“Well,” he said. “I once did a TED Talk about holding my breath for 17 minutes.”
I stared at him. “Are you David Blaine?”
“No one told you?” he asked.
I felt very stupid.
Finally a space was cleared out and I re-told my story a couple of times as David Blaine held his phone out and the New Yorker reported looked on. When I was finished, David said, “Would you like to see a trick?”
The New Yorker reporter and I looked at each other, then back at David. “Absolutely.”
David Blaine then proceeded to take me on a journey that included me selecting a card from a deck, signing my name on that card in Sharpie, and ultimately finding that signed card inside my shoe, even though I had never removed my shoe at any point throughout the trick.
I couldn’t believe it. I was a honestly a little frightened.
When the New Yorker reporter asked me how I thought the the trick was done, I said, “I think he’s magic. I think David Blaine is the devil. It’s the only explanation.”
I still think that.
Then David told me that he might want to speak to me in the future. “I’ll give you my business card,” he said.
“Okay.”
“You already have it,” he said. “Left breast pocket.”
Low and behold, it was there, a playing card with his contact information hidden within the details of the card.
Elysha, of course, missed it all. She was in the restroom.
Recently David Blaine visited the home of Harrison Ford and performed a trick that was recorded and posted to YouTube.
I love this video.
Harrison Ford’s reaction to Blaine’s trick is perfect. It’s exactly how I felt that night at The Moth Ball.
Also, now that David Blaine has met Harrison Ford, my ability to play “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” with myself just expanded exponentially.
