This is my first blog in my new blog site - Thursday, October 6th, 2011. Kind of excited about the potential of this for search engines finding me. It is suggested that I blog here instead of on Facebook or Twitter or on an outside blog site so the copy draws spiders to my web site. We will have to see how that goes.

This week I'm performing in Lumberton, North Carolina, at the Robeson County Fair. I believe this is the 10th year I have worked at this fair. I did the fair for a few years, then took a few years off, and have returned now for a few more years.

The audiences here are as thick as the tent will permit. It is standing-room only and every seat is taken, even on the first day I am here, on a Monday night, by the second show. This is pretty rare for a fair on a Monday, but it has a lot to do with the fair, because they do draw crowds here like no other fair of its size.

Check it out: I made the cover of the newspaper, The Robesonian, Tuesday October 4, 2011.

What I find interesting, personally, is that because the people have all seen me here, and they come back year after year to see my show or be in the show, I get disheartened at times. The volunteers are almost predictable, and that takes the "fun" out of it for me. I realize this is my own attitude problem, not the audience's problem, but sometimes - or at least once a year, while I am here - it gets to me. My stage is full of young adults (teens) and they all go under, and they are very animated. But I recognize so many of them, and in last night's show I did a 90-second induction to get them under, and 9 of the 12 volunteers stayed the whole show!

So, I am "disheartened during the show," my energy is not strong, and I kind of do a fast-paced Readers Digest version of a lot of the routines, just to change it a bit for myself. After the show I still felt disheartened, and I went back to my hotel room and got a Facebook message from one of the most animated of the "hypno-junkies" on that stage, and it says:

Just wanted to say that your shows are the only reason I go to the fair every year. Great job and keep doing what you're doing. 

 –– Ben Bruce

It sure does wake me up and change my attitude. Thanks Bruce! I'm at the fairs for YOU, not me! And I need to do the best show I can - every show - for the few that have never seen me, and those that come back to see me or be in the show.

Well, I am going to wrap up this blog so it is not too long and daunting to read. Please let me know if you find this. I am curious, since it is my first time journaling on my own web site.

From Lumberton, NC - October 6th, 2012