Happy Holidays .. and The Bet, part Two

First off:
Happy Holidays to ALL of my friends, colleagues, clients, family and readers!

Your support over the years has been, in good portion, what's kept me going, kept me inspired and kept me focused. I am humbled and honored to have you all in my life.

Now, on to the odd stuff... several years ago, a friend of mine made a bet with me - he bet me that I could not pass the Illinois life insurance agent's exam on the first try. Now, when you consider that the exam, at that time, consisted of about 300 questions and covered everything from matters of law to types of insurance to figuring coverage costs, it was a pretty daunting challenge.

When you add into the mix the fact that I suffer from called dyscalculia, which is a type of dyslexia that applies to numbers and mathematics in general and the challenge becomes even greater.

Well, with the help of my friend Wendi Freisen, a world famous hypnotherapist and her CD on memory improvement for students, I managed to pass the test... in 38 minutes... this was, according to the head of th testing center, "an unofficial Illinois record."

I was happy.

Well, yesterday, the 21st, I took my friend up on his follow-up challenge - to pass the Illinois State accident & health insurance agent's license exam on the first try. The exam is another monster - 65 questions about everything from health, accident, Medicare, Medicaid, disability, Workman's compensation and supplementary insurances plus another 50 questions or so about Illinois state-specific laws regarding all of the above!

There was more math than on the life insurance exam, too.

However, the really big problem with taking this exam was that I went in to it with a massive, comprehensive, skull-crushing migraine headache!

And it was a bad one. A sinus headache on top of a regular migraine, to boot. My regular medications didn't even dent it. Tylenol-3... the stuff with codeine in it ... didn't dent it... and it was running into the ranges where it was threatening consciousness (which has happened only once in my life, I hasten to add!)...

Fortunately, I managed to suffer through the exam until about half-way through the second part - the Illinois law portion, when, outside the testing center, a dozen kids started a drum line using those big plastic buckets for drums!

Even though we were on the 4th floor of the office building, it sounded like they were right outside the window!

I guess the center has had this happen before, though, because sitting right there on my desk, in a neat little sealed plastic package, was a pair of green foam rubber earplugs! But even with them in my aching ears, I could STILL hear these kids slamming away on their buckets, but not quite as loudly...

The exam was timed, of course. The time allotted was about 140 minutes. This time, I finished with only about 27 minutes remaining on the clock and staggered out to the proctor's desk for the bad news.... and saw that it was the same lady who had graded my first exam there, back when!

She clicked her mouse, and, as I was gathering my stuff out of the locker (they make you empty your pockets, leave your cell phone, pager, wristwatch, everything but one piece of photo ID), she said:

"Congratulations. You passed."

My head still hurt - this was not a stress migraine - but I have to admit that I was pretty happy about the results. Not to mention being more than a bit surprised.

And again, my friend lost his bet.

I really should have put some money on this bet, instead of it merely being a gentleman's wager...!

Happy Holidays everybody.

A THREE Show Day

Yesterday was a busy day for me. THREE shows in less than 18 hours...

It started out with my leaving the house at about 8:30AM and driving 90 minutes to South Bend, Indiana to perform my Holiday Hypnosis Show for a real estate management and sales company for their holiday party. The drive was fine, the audience was wonderful, the venue was quite nice, but the sound system almost blew up!

All during the part where I hypnotize the volunteers, the sound system kept emitting these incredibly loud and random POPs and CRACKLEs and BANGs!, even after I had turned the microphone and my computer (where I keep the shows music) off!

Fortunately, I have a good speaking voice for large groups and the show went very well, although in a slightly different direction that I had originally planned.... the client, however, was absolutely delighted and that's what counts!

Then, it was off to the North Side of Chicago for another company party for two regional offices of AFLAC Insurance (yes, the duck advertisement people). Unlike the first show, this one was my Strolling Magic Program, working the crowd, doing coins, cards, rubber bands and my trademarked magical mania. These folks are a great group, too!

Finally, it was off to the United Center for a 90 minute set doing Magic and Mind-reading for the crowds for the Chicago Bulls vs the Knicks game. This is my fourteenth year of working for the Bulls organization, through their event planning contractors and I am deeply appreciative and honored to be a part of these shows.

So, if you ever attend a Bulls game and see me performing in the halls as part of the paid entertainment, please stop by and introduce yourself and mention that you saw this page!

Yesterday was a busy day for me. THREE shows in less than 18 hours... and I loved every minute of it!

Happy Holidays!

A Different Christmas Poem

Regardless of what anyone may feel about the war and the politicians who have sent out troops into harm's waym I DO support our troops 100% and have, over the years even gone, uninvited and unpaid in to USO centers at places like O'Hare Airport on Christmas Eve and even Christmas Day to perform magic for the troops who are traveling through there.

I recently received the following from an email list that I belong to and felt that it was a fitting and powerful tribute to the men and women who have voluntarily put themselves between us and "the war's devastation," as the song goes. I offer it as I received it, unedited, except that I have placed it in italics, fo you know that it is a quotation....

Please remember those who serve, both here and overseas during this holiday season - and always!

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."


PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people
as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we
owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who
sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum , Iraq .


Bless them all.

Lee Darrow, C.H.
Proud son of one of America's first Airborne Rangers, Bruce Darrow, late of the 517th ABN/RCT, 1941-1945 served.