Blog 3509 – 06.12.2025
Magical Thinking
I suppose that we have all at one time or another been guilty of magical thinking, a term used most often by “fact-based” or “rational” adults to explain childlike thinking based on a belief that their is indeed unexplainable magic in the world. Faith, we are told in the New Testament book of Hebrews, is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Substance and evidence seem solid enough terms that even scientists might use, but faith and hope seem to be the opposite. I think it is a false choice this either/or – facts or faith, love or logic, reality or magic, child or adult. Life and indeed we are a mixture of both.
If there is no faith, no hope, no love, no magic, life can seem pretty boring, dry, and depressing. Yesterday, I wrote that my life philosophy is based on the words of Muppet bandleader Doctor Tooth who says that there is a party all the time for them that choose. Forest Gump spoke of his magic shoes that his mama said would take him anywhere. Donnie Ozmond sang of putting on his boogie shoes. The old Cherokee legend says that before we accuse, criticize, and abuse we should first take a walk in our brother’s shoes or as the Cherokee phrased it “walk a mile in their moccasins.”
In our rush to figure things out, to find the right, the rational, answer we have thrown the baby out with the wash, we have lost or at least misplaced the magic, the mystery of life. These adventures in time and space are meant to be fun, to be magical mystery tours, and who doesn’t love a good mystery and a little magic for that matter?
Your friend and fellow traveler,
David James White
The Lovin’ Spoonful – Do You Believe in Magic (Audio)
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