Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between misty hills, there lived a witch named Madeline. She was known for her skillful potions and enchanting spells, which she used to help the villagers in times of need. Despite her generous nature, Madeline had an unusual fear - she was afraid of other witches. Madeline's fear stemmed from a childhood incident when she mistakenly stumbled upon a gathering of wicked witches deep in the heart of the forest. She witnessed their sinister rituals and heard their chilling cackles, leaving an indelible mark on her impressionable mind. Ever since that fateful day, she was plagued with constant anxiety whenever the elusive topic of witches arose.
Once raced in a poodle shirt which may or may not be a shirt for a poodle. Unfortunately the type of person who does not let little kids win at competitive games. Often cries while running. Currently in grad school to learn to write sentences with subjects. East Coast transplant to Flagstaff, missing NYC bodegas, New England accents and Rhode Island Del's, but not urine-and-vomit scented subway rides. Twitter and Instagram @jmmackattack
Stilpa does a hyperbolic of course, but pretty good impression of Blaine s trademark destruction of the fourth wall, as he gazes directly into the camera after completing a trick. He was becoming an endurance artist, a career path that involved him existing suspended in a block of ice for 62 hours straight, and spending 44 days sealed inside a glass box 30 feet above the ground in London.
Ever since that fateful day, she was plagued with constant anxiety whenever the elusive topic of witches arose. To conceal her fear, Madeline became a recluse, rarely leaving the confines of her cobweb-covered cottage. She focused her energy on brewing potions and casting spells for the villagers who sought her help.
Does David Blaine have the skills of an elite ultra marathon runner?
David Blaine’s dark eyes stare unblinkingly into yours, reaching out stoically from the confines of your computer screen and intoning the type of quiet, serious concentration you’d expect from a man whose profession is listed as magician.
That’s not David Blaine. That is Mitch Stilpa, an actor/comedian from an improv troupe in LA (what a terrible combination of words) whose parody videos of David Blaine’s street magic made a big splash on Funny or Die for a while. Stilpa does a hyperbolic of course, but pretty good impression of Blaine’s trademark destruction of the fourth wall, as he gazes directly into the camera after completing a trick.
The four parody videos have amassed over 78,000,000 views on YouTube, and as HuffPost put it back in 2011, Blaine’s “aesthetic and demeanor make him a pretty solid target for parody.” Magicians in general are rarely respected for their craft, and usually the butt of some jokes or at least emphatic eyerolls. And Blaine’s “Street Magic” concept, where he interacted with apparent strangers on the street for his breakthrough documentary in 1996, was especially ripe for riffing off of.
But while the world was chuckling to itself at David Blaine’s expense, Blaine was reinventing himself as more than just some sort of street vendor illusionist. He was becoming an endurance artist, a career path that involved him existing suspended in a block of ice for 62 hours straight, and spending 44 days sealed inside a glass box 30 feet above the ground in London. The accomplishment of these feats is the crux of my argument. Anyone who can put their body through such physical pain and suffering, who willingly endures extreme discomfort for long stretches of time for no real reason other than to prove that they can was practically born to be an ultra-marathoner. There is a very fine, pretty much nonexistent line between endurance artist and endurance athlete and I for one would love to see how Blaine’s talent as the former translates into his promise for the latter.
Blaine has transcended the realm of magic with most of his acts recently. There’s no real trick or deception going on in the feats he’s managed to pull off. The “magic” is just that he is able to force his body to do completely unnatural things. For example, Blaine’s trick where he eats glass–is actually him eating glass. The man is truly, physically consuming glass. He takes a bite out of a champagne flute and then chews. He bites down again and again, cutting his mouth all over, desecrating his poor chompers, and reducing the glass to little specks until he can swallow it. This type of mind-blowing pain tolerance lends itself easily to the kind of mentality a person covering almost four times the distance of a marathon without really stopping to sleep, and barely eating.
Not only is Blaine capable of withstanding pain over a long portion of time, but he also has a certain level of insanity that seems to be a prerequisite for becoming an ultra runner. He has done tricks that are downright stupidly dangerous. He’s caught a bullet in his mouth on stage, an actual bullet, from a real gun that he caught in a metal cup that he held in his mouth. The amount of confidence Blaine must have in himself in order to believe he can catch a bullet with a cup in his mouth without killing himself makes me think he would have the kind of self-belief important for running up and down steep, rocky trails by yourself for hours on end.
Blaine’s resume does also hint toward an innate aerobic ability. After training and working on techniques to do so, he successfully held his breath for 17 minutes underwater. Which makes me confident in his lung capacity to say the least.
As Ira Glass recently said of Blaine in a This American Life episode, “He works on these things for years, trains his body to do this stuff.” Sounds a lot like the life of an ultra runner to me.
Once raced in a poodle shirt which may or may not be a shirt for a poodle. Unfortunately the type of person who does not let little kids win at competitive games. Often cries while running. Currently in grad school to learn to write sentences with subjects. East Coast transplant to Flagstaff, missing NYC bodegas, New England accents and Rhode Island Del's, but not urine-and-vomit scented subway rides. Twitter and Instagram @jmmackattack
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Word of her magical abilities spread far and wide, and soon people from distant lands were making pilgrimages to her cottage. Despite her reclusive nature, rumors of Madeline's fear of witches also traveled through the winds. Other witches, both good and evil, found it peculiar that someone with such powerful magic harbored so much fear. Some saw it as a weakness, while others thought it was simply an eccentricity. One day, a kind-hearted witch named Hazel heard about Madeline and her fear of witches. Hazel, who had always been compassionate towards others, was determined to help Madeline conquer her fear. She thought that if she could make Madeline see that not all witches were wicked, perhaps the fear could be extinguished. Hazel made her way to Madeline's cottage, bearing a gift of rare mystical herbs that could aid in overcoming deep-seated fears. She knocked gently on the cottage door, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Madeline, startled by the unexpected visitor, peered through a crack in the door, her eyes wide with trepidation. Hazel spoke softly, her voice filled with warmth and empathy. She shared her own experiences with witches and assured Madeline that not all witches were evil. She explained that witches, like any other beings, were diverse, with both good and bad intentions. Madeline listened intently, her fear slowly ebbing away as she absorbed Hazel's words. The kind-hearted witch's presence and reassuring words began to plant the seeds of hope and courage in Madeline's heart. She realized that she had allowed fear to dictate her life for far too long and that it was time to face her demons. With Hazel's support, Madeline started slowly venturing out of her cottage, spending time with other witches in her village. She discovered a newfound camaraderie and realized that her fear had become an unnecessary barrier. Over time, her fear dissipated, replaced by a sense of empowerment and understanding. Madeline's transformation astonished the villagers, who had always held her in high regard. They saw her as an inspiration, someone who had overcome her deepest fears. Madeline's empathy towards other witches grew, and she became an advocate for unity and harmony among magical beings. From that day forward, Madeline's cottage became a haven for both witches and humans alike, a place where stories were shared, fears were conquered, and friendships were forged. Her journey from a witch afraid of witches to a beacon of light for her community symbolized the power of facing one's fears and embracing the unknown with an open heart and mind. In the end, Madeline taught us that we all harbor fears, but it is up to us to confront them and find the strength to live a life free from the chains of fear..
Reviews for "Seeking Sanctuary: The Witch's Struggle to Find Acceptance Among Her Own"
1. Megan - 1 star - I was really disappointed with "The witch that was afraid of witches". The story was incredibly predictable and lacked depth. I found the characters to be one-dimensional and the plot to be uninteresting. It felt like the author did not put much effort into creating a unique and engaging story. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating witch-related tale.
2. James - 2 stars - "The witch that was afraid of witches" was a mediocre read for me. While the concept of a witch being afraid of other witches intrigued me, the execution fell flat. The pacing was slow, and the story failed to hold my attention. The characters were forgettable, and the dialogue felt forced. I believe there are better witch-themed books out there that could deliver a more satisfying reading experience.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - Despite its promising premise, "The witch that was afraid of witches" failed to deliver a captivating story. The writing style felt amateurish, and the dialogues sounded unnatural. The plot lacked originality and relied heavily on cliches. I found it difficult to empathize with the main character, as her development was shallow and unconvincing. Overall, this book did not meet my expectations, and I wouldn't recommend it to avid readers of witch-themed literature.