Michael Vincent: "Life Philosophy"
by @jin-out on Brave-Smoke's Corner
View my bio on Blurt.media: https://blurt.media/c/bravesmoke 
https://www.michaelvincentmagic.com/shuffling-philosophies-by-jin-lee/
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Such that it pains me to re-open these memories...
This video was filmed during Autumn of 2018, three months after i came back from my 10 month hitchiking journey across Europe.
Right after that journey i was given the opportunity to travel to Argentina with my then friend, brotha and mentor Michael Vincent. We have a decade long Master-Student relationship, which started somewhere during 2008 after i witnessed Michael's performance on Penn and Teller's "Fool Us" (season 1), and the apex of such a friendship was discovered during our town in Buenos Aires.
I have the journey recorded and compiled into my "Blast From Da Past" video, which i shall upload sometime soon. In that video you will see the artistry of these Argentinian magicians. Because of Michael i got to make my acquaintance with the wife of the late Rene Lavand, the world reknowned one handed illusionist, right in their home of Tandil. If you've ever watched any videos of Rene's, especially from his documentary "El Gran Simulador" (The Great Pretender), i can only attest to the beauty of the town of eternal autumn that is Tandil. Rene's home is just as beautiful as i saw it in the documentary...and stepping foot in Renes home, knowing he wanted to respond to my handwritten letter before his untimely passing...i shook the hand of his statue and made my peace.
During our time in Argentina, i got to live with Michael with thanks to our friends in Bueanos Aires. We got to meet many famous nationwide magicians, some semi-professionals, some full pro. It was good to sit down with these artists, young and old, to share magic together.
My second highlight of this trip was when i met Pablo, a very underrated and unknown underground magician from the classical era. I have never witnessed a more beautiful "Ace Assembly" routine in my life...i vividly remember Pablo's personal magician library, full of classic tomes i am familiar with, and hard to procure too in Argentina. These were English books such as "Greater Magic", the "Tarbel Courses in Magic", "Our Magic", even books by Johanne Nepomuk Hofzinser too. It was a wonderful evening at Pablo's house.
Michael starting losing his hearing sometime in the early 2010s and by the time 2018 came, his hearing was almost completely gone. I have my theories on why a healthy man, who takes no external substances, who has never had any health problems would suddenly one day wake up to a world without sound. Living in central London...blasted by the radiation and EMF, our beautiful London overshadowed by evil magicks....
When filming this short piece, gathering the footage was easy. The hardest part was asking a man who had not heard his own voice truly for a decade to sing. Through his song i can hear his pain and his hope for life.
Michael has always been a light upon this world. Chinese Zodiac wise he is a Dragon. Me being a Stallion we were a perfect fit. But i could never rise to the heights of a Dragon, for it was not the destiny of a Stallion to fly. We parted ways when 2020 came. It was sudden. We came to a point of no return.
We all need a mentor. It may be that some of us are destined for a life of struggle and isolation, yet i am certain even this type of person will be given the duty of being someone's guide in life. That's what Mike taught me. Even a useless person can help others if we take up the mantle (and stop being useless).
My friend, my brotha and mentor. I owe you half my life. You said i already made you proud back then when we were in Amsterdamn, attending the https://www.amsterdamsights.com/events/amsterdam-magic-show.html ...do you remember? I was perhaps 25 then, already a semi professional then with my own one man theater shows...but i never felt the words you said to me rang true. One day i'll make you really proud man i promise, i know that day will come.
Til then.