No Plain Blaine

Before Criss Angel and Hannibal took over, I remember AXN airing a lot of David Blaine. He was greatness in faded jeans and the same old black T-shirt. He'd pick volunteers from the streets and have them cussing and screaming and running away. Eye popper. Jaw dropper. All in a matter of a few hushed words and a swift motion of the hand. When he was done, he'd walk away with the same droopy eyes and hunched back.

Apart from his magic tricks, Blaine was fond of taking his body to extremes. He'd test his endurance through feats that I'll let your curiosity google. One such exercise that stayed with me was Above The Below, where he stayed in a glass box hung a over the Thames for a forty-four days with nothing but water supply, a pillow, blankets and his diary.

Sure, he battled starvation and an unfair amount of booing as well cheering. Yes, he lost a fourth of his weight and his BMI dropped dangerously. Also yes, he suffered an unhealthy sort of isolation-a so close yet so far feeling. Sure, he is a symbol of the undying human spirit and endurance and will power and I respect the man for it all.

However, it's what I remember him saying after those forty-four days that troubled me. He spoke of a revelation. Of course you'd have one too if you're going to be with yourself for that long and watch the sun rise and set everyday and watch the ants below drive around and go to work and live their lives and watch the stars traverse their course each night and have no one but yourself to share it with when you marvel at it all, but there was more to his epiphany.
He learnt something up there. He'd written about it in his diary. He'd said that when he was back on the ground he was surprised by how easily he'd forgotten his lesson and he was glad he had it all written down.

I have wondered then and I still wonder now, what magnificent truth did you uncover Mr.Blaine? What did you see that no one else on this planet living their routine lives missed? We must be missing this truth real hard if Blaine himself almost forgot it upon descending back to life with us here on ground level, that too after taking more than a month's meditation to understand it.

How I have wished you'd tell me. But like all your stunts, you leave me guessing.