Matchingsocks’s Weblog

(This post was written in Uganda. This girl is backdating it.)

There is a story of a famous Japanese magician who won the right to sought out a great magician master to apprentice from him. Thing was, this magician master made this apprentices do some hard- and seemingly mundane- laborious tasks. For the whole of the first year, the apprentice would wash dishes for his master. Day in and day out, he would wash dishes. There were to be no formal classes from master to apprentice, but loads of dish washing.

The first year ran into the second year and there was still to be no formal magic training; instead, the apprentice spent his days going marketing for the magician master. Day in and day out, he would be sent of these repetitive- and seemingly mundane- mind numbing tasks.

The second year bled into the third year and, still, there was to be no formal magic training. This year, the apprentice was made to cook meals for the magician master’s entire family. Day in and day out, he would slave over the stove thinking up dishes and planning the menu for the family; a tough- and seemingly mundane- useless task.

This said magician master had many students that came to sought his apprenticeship. All failed to eek out the three years, most finding the repetitive and boring tasks on top of the no magic training a terrible waste of time. Except for this said Japanese apprentice.

Finally, after three years, the magician master called his apprentice and sat the man down and revealed the purposes of the three years of hard labour. The first year spent washing dishes was to instill in the apprentice the deep appreciation for taking care of tools. A magician has many tools and it is imperative that each instrument, however important or replaceable be treated with respect. For when you treat your things with respect, they respect you in return.

The second year, the master revealed was to train the apprentice in the art of negotiation and mediation; a core skill when one visits the market on a daily basis. Magic, the master said, require the performer to engage and manage his audience- however difficult they might be.

The final year spent cooking, the master told the apprentice, was training in being able to cater to the needs of each person in the audience. Everyone has their own tastes and food preferences, a good chef, a patient chef would best cater to suit the needs to each diner- all while not compromising quality and attitude. And this was the lesson the master wanted this apprentice to learn. Finally, the master declared, the apprentice was ready to learn his magic.

This true story was told to this girl by Mr. Toesocks who had the chance to meet this said same apprentice- today a Japanese magician master- the only one this grand master ever taught. Because, he had the dedication, teachability and attitude needed to truly master the discipline necessary to perfectly execute his craft. No cutting corners, no short cuts; but sometimes the deep understanding that hard work needs to come before greatness.