Children's show!

What a great time I had last Saturday doing a children's show at the Auburn Elks club... again I have to say, "and they pay me for this!"
So many of my contemporaries will not do a children's show, or a show for elderly as in a senior center. Why?
They are missing out and they are missing out sharing the love of magic and fun with others...
I arrived early, began to set up, met the woman who hired me, Toni... I set her mind at ease right away. letting her know everything was going to be great! Whether I believe this or not is irrelevant. To them, just you saying it relaxes them and gives you an air of command. Like you know what you are doing... fake it til you make it.
As children with parents began to arrive, I was playing my harmonica gently to some Christmas songs. I had never done this before... I chatted with a little girl, talked of her school and what she wants to do when she grows up. Eventually more people arrived, and so I did some close up magic for some children, before I knew it ( I knew it!) there was a small group gathered round....I began to draw them in, ask their names, how old they were, is this your brother? Sister etc... Hot rod, Jumping gems, bird catcher... crazy man's hand cuffs... rubber band thru thumb... now there is a crowd, leave em wanting more, smiles all around... astonishment...
A few minutes from show time, I have given more before I even start, I am feeling good, they are primed...
I open with my rabbit in the hat, it goes really well, multiplying sponge carrots. the children want to pet the rabbit, I let them, next I do a magic coloring book routine... Silly Billy is right, this is a phenomenal trick for children, they are all screaming and having fun... I cannot believe it. I am learning, but they don't know it, they all think I know what the heck I am doing... I do a silk blow tube routine later, again, I mess the trick up on purpose, the children catch me out and they love it, I love it, this stuff really works, laughter and shouting and FUN!
The parents are involved, engaged too... what could be better!?
More magic...
I finish by having a young girl help me make candy in a dove pan, I use a break away fan and she cannot help but giggle... she was priceless.
Afterwards the adults all thanked me, told me the show was great. A woman told me..."You were WAAAY better then the guy last year!"
Well I don't know what he did, but she mentioned he couldn't relate to the children.
As I was driving home I heard a tribute to Dave Niehaus on the radio. Something Dave told Rick Rizz when he first broke into broadcasting, "Be yourself, and have fun."
Now those are words that make all this sort of easy.
I am a fortunate guy. Some how I think I am myself when I perform and I do have fun!
When I got home I watched the video of my performance, and while I have a lot to learn, I was very happy with most of it. It reinforced the notion of three peating the "mistakes" that allow children to catch you out, how they dig being empowered, getting one over on an adult, and how when you win out in the end, they like that too!