Maintaining the Magic

Had a strange Harry Potter moment on the way home from town a while back, at the intersection where one signpost points to both Perth and Hobart, which in Tasmania makes perfect sense. We’d stopped to let oncoming traffic go past, when a van drove by with Magic Wand Cleaning emblazoned on the side.

It was obviously a cleaning company, claiming they could transform your home or workplace with speed and efficiency, but my passenger had a different take on it. Did they mean magic wand CLEANING, magic WAND cleaning, or MAGIC wand cleaning?

We dissolved into laughter as we anticipated making a phone call requesting their services for the cleaning of wands which were no longer working efficiently, hoping that their original powers would return once they were correctly cleaned and serviced. Not knowing the mileage on a magic wand, I imagine it might be like other resources we use like batteries and cars, fridges and washing machines, which seem to hum along quite nicely for most of the time…until all of a sudden, they don’t.

In the world according to Harry Potter, you do not choose your wand, your wand chooses you, so looking after it is a major responsibility. It becomes a lifetime commitment, making sure you have it by your side at all times should a situation arise in which it is needed to avert certain disaster. Usually, a wand has only one master, but as Harry proved once disconnected from his own lifeline, this was not always so. How you keep your wand in good working order I’m not sure; it’s not as if you can plug it in somewhere, fire it up again and prolong its life.

It’s not rocket science knowing how to maintain the physical things we use day in day out. We intend to get the car serviced regularly, but more often than not we wait until there’s an ominous noise under the bonnet, or a suspicious light comes on to tell us all is not well. Our household appliances only receive attention when they don’t do what is expected of them; I mean, how dare all those whirring gizmos not keep working after decades of constant use.

Maintaining the other parts of our lives though, the mental, emotional, creative and spiritual parts, is not always as straightforward. We don’t come with instruction manuals and warranties. Keeping those facets of our lives healthy and thriving in a world that expects and demands so much, can be confusing to say the least. Doing what is right under our noses takes precedence, so finding meaning in the midst of the everyday, mundane things that consume us has to come from somewhere else.

Back in my day, when the monotony or pressure became too much to bear, people packed themselves off to go and ‘find themselves,’ or embarked on a mid-life crisis to escape the entrapment and disappointment of what they felt their lives had become. These days many students take a gap year at the end of their education, sometimes wandering the world in search of experiences to enlighten or stimulate them, to help focus their life direction. Nice for those who can afford it, and it might appear self-indulgent, but wouldn’t we all love to have some time out now and again to review where we’re at, and assess whether what we’re doing is in line with where we dreamed we’d be however many years ago.

It’s easy to lose the magic. New jobs, careers and study options start out with such promise. We are full of enthusiasm, but all too soon disenchantment can set in as the reality of our choices begins to take control of our daily routine.

Without a magic wand to assist in our battles, other strategies must be found. Harry Potter and his closest friends Ron and Hermione; Frodo and Sam and the Fellowship of the Ring; Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, and the list could go on, all represent the dramatic portrayal of a small group facing seemingly insurmountable odds in the interplay between good and evil, and making sense of the world in which they live. The ultimate responsibility might fall to one person, but as we find in our own less dramatic lives, you can’t go it alone. Each has his or her role to play, each is an integral part of the solution. Whatever the obstacle, they’re in it together, relying not only on their own strength, but on that of each other and the belief that spurs them on in their quest. But there is an extra dimension at play as they face what they most fear.

Their true character is brought into question. Are they up to the task, are they willing to go on when all seems lost, are they prepared to sacrifice themselves if need be for the benefit of others? They are not necessarily questions we face on a daily basis, but knowing I have a bunch of true friends who would stand by me and with me if needed is a good place to start when the going gets tough.

So, when it comes to facing the world without a wand, when life seems a bit tarnished and lacklustre or downright hostile, it’s good to know we have more options than simply giving up, or quaking in our boots and running in fear. Whether we believe it or not, there will be a small band of mates on standby ready to come on side, if we only have the courage and good sense to ask.

For when things do fall into place when least expected, when circumstances turn themselves around when all seemed lost, when relationships are retrieved and reconciled, or when we’re simply blown away by Nature displaying all its glory, we can feel truly blessed in these moments. We may not be in the habit of pursuing or expecting them, but when they come our way, when we’re taken by surprise, when they land like an undeserved gift and cause us to smile, give thanks, connect with others, or simply be grateful for the skin we’re in, such moments can be extraordinarily profound.