JANUARY–MARCH 2024 HEARTBEAT® 21 I observed something unexplainable, something impossible. But on the day I watched that video of David Blaine, something happened. All of a sudden, I had to know how it was done. And once I did, I had to learn everything that had to happen to make the trick come alive. Understanding this set me on a path to seeing the world in a different way. Now when I see a phone, I don’t just see a device only for communication. I see the sensors that make the touch screen activate, and I see the signals that make communication possible. When I exam- ine the universe and the world around me, I don’t just see the matter, I see the living breathing things and think back on how we were all at one point space dust. Now when I see a magic trick, I don’t see the impossibility of the trick but the beauty of the mechanics behind it. I have learned that something that may seem unexplainable always has an explanation. From that day on, I no longer wanted to see things in two dimensions. Instead, I had to start seeing the world around me in three, maybe even six. I had to think of probable possibilities, study science and examine concepts that at first seemed impossible to the naked eye. In my newfound way of thinking, I also became a “reborn” lover of magic. I taught myself tricks and made my own magician’s style. To learn magic, I couldn’t just see a singular deck of cards, I had to see each individual card in its entirety. I had to see the layers of paper and ink that make the card what it is. Today, I do not go any- where without my deck of cards. Like my deck of cards, this under- standing of the world is one I carry with me each day. The understanding that there is more than meets the eye. When people look at me, they may see a typical two-dimensional teenager. What they don’t see or know is that I have a heart condition. Well, actually three heart conditions to be exact. This condition can make me extremely tired and susceptible to other medical issues. But you can’t see this. It’s not surface level, it’s deeper. So people may see a reserved kid, but nobody dares to ask why. I understand I cannot do things others can. However, perhaps what I initially thought was a disadvantage has actually given room for other passions, like magic. And while we haven’t quite found the “cure” for my condition, remember, the impossible doesn’t exist. The absence of the answer doesn’t mean there isn’t one. So, this hope, this understanding, this multi-dimensional view of the world is the reason I will never let my condition stop me from going on with my life. Because of magic and what it taught me, I now urge people to not just see things as they appear but to try to see them on a deeper level. Don’t see the impossible, see the possible. We can use this type of thinking to solve problems once thought to be impossible. We can pose questions; we can be a helpful, more productive society. Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we cre- ated them.” Now I will always remember that the impossible is just something we have yet to understand. Jadeden Sanchez Photo courtesy of Rosa Lecca Because of magic and what it taught me, I now urge people to not just see things as they appear but to try to see them on a deeper level.
