When I was in my pre-teens, I was a big fan of David Copperfield. Every once in a while, he'd have a TV special, and I'd never miss it. I loved magic. One of my favorite parts of Adventureland was taking a hour from the heat of the summer and watching the magic show in the saloon. Once on a vacation, might have been a stop in Baraboo, WI, Emily and I got to go up on stage for a magic show, and it was one of the highlights of the year. One year, I got a magic kit for Christmas, and I spent hours learning card tricks and rope tricks and my favorite, the disappearing ball routine. But I was more interested in watching than doing. I'd let myself believe in the magic.

But David Copperfield was the best of them all. How could one possibly make a train disappear in front of all those people? I watched them lock him in that safe. How could he get out before the building exploded? I even kinda remember when he walked through the Great Wall of China. Amazing.

But as all children do, I started losing my illusions. (Yeah, that was a pun, I'm sorry.) Magic just doesn't hold the beauty and amazement it did when I was a child. So when I got the email yesterday notifying me that David Copperfield will be performing at the Adler Theater in the Quad Cities next month, I was a little torn. If I go, will I be disappointed? If I don't, will I just be another one of those cynical adults who has lost the magic in their life?