A nice little girl was helping me and I handed her the scissors and asked her to cut the rope in the center loop I presented to her and used the line," remember the rope is the white thing and my fingers are the pink things" she cut the rope fine and the routine was going well. Next after restoring the rope, I am supposed to take the scissors back and after the volunteer sits down I go ahead and trim the end of the rope for the next step.....that's when it happened. I was snipping the end off the rope and came too close to my left thumb and slice! I caught my thumb in the scissors. Pretty stupid mistake and I immediately looked at my finger and thought," did I really just do this? Well luckily it isn't bleeding...."
Well I thought too soon..... I continues with the rope trick and suddenly noticed the end of the rope was bright red! Ahhh....so that ended the regular finale of throwing the restored rope into the audience, the rope trick was OVER.
I grabbed my towel I use to wipe off my hands and wrapped my thumb up and held pressure on the cut. The audience to my knowledge didn't realize what was going on. I flagged one of the staff from the Carousel as he walked by and asked him to get me a band aid from the office.
I know they have basic first aid stuff on hand, like band aids and ice packs etc, some child is always running and falling and scraping a knee or banging some body part on something, or a klutzy magician who doesn't know how to use a scissors.
I get the band aid and remove the towel and put band aid on the cut. Problem solved........well not quite.
The next effect is the Peanut butter and Jelly trick. This has got to be one of my favorite parts of the show. It is easy to perform and fun for kids and adults alike. Part of the routine is to get a kid up to stand in between the 2 tables and hold the paper bag with the 2 slices of plain bread in it. Then at the end you tear open the bag to show the bread is now a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich! amazing and tasty too...
I put the slices of bread in the bag and fold over the top flap and hold it up and just as I am ready to call a kid up to hold the bag, I see my thumb bleeding through the band aid and starting to run down the back of the bag......uh oh change of plans.....I don't call a kid up, I just put the bag down on the ground between the tables, I clench my thumb into my fist and squeeze, and say,"and now the finale, the Peanut Butter and Jelly Trick" It wasn't supposed to be the end of the show but now it was going to be. I finished the trick and grabbed the bag tearing it open and holding my thumb behind it and showed the real sandwich.....Thanked my audience and they applauded and dispersed. One little girl from the front row came up and asked ,"are you ok, did you hurt your finger" I assured her it was ok and said, "remember you always have to be careful with sharp scissors"
SO that's how it finally happened, I cut myself during a show during the cut and restored rope.
I'm sorry if this post is too graphic for some.....I didn't include any gory pictures.......But its a real lesson that you should never get too complacent about performing, "second nature" doesn't mean you don't pay close attention to what your doing, accidents can always happen.
Keep 'em clean and Be well
