I used to do magic. I wasn’t half bad at it either and I even did a couple of paid gigs but I never really considered myself that great of a magician. I did have a lot of fun fooling a lot of people while I was into it though and while the magic itself is fun, the most excitement comes from the feeling you get when you know your audience is wondering whether or not you really have supernatural powers.

A thought that has often crossed my mind is what it would be like to use magic to fool someone when it really mattered. Take this CNN story for example, where David Copperfield hid the contents of his pockets from three would be criminals with just a sleight of hand.

Copperfield, 50, and two female assistants were walking from the Kravis Center to their tour bus when they were approached by the teens April 23. The assistants handed over money and a cellphone, but the illusionist turned his pockets inside out to reveal nothing, although he was carrying his passport, wallet and cell phone.

“He said in depositions that he had things on him, but it wasn’t difficult to make it seem like there was nothing there,” prosecutor Sherri Collins said.

I don’t know why, but this inspires me to get out my old magic box and stuff a couple of those tricks back up my sleeve.