THE GREATEST MAGICIANS have something to learn from Mr. Mistoffelees’ Conjuring Turn – PRESTO! Yet amidst all that glimmer and grandeur, he remains genuinely unseen and unheard. Veiled from the ever-piercing glow.  

For the entertainers, they bask under the radiance of sweet ecstasy, beloved by all those who meet them. Even when spawned into a territory of burning torches, game masters and players, and a perpetual race pursuing the imminent future—they thrive perfectly, favored both by bosom friends and complete strangers.  

But behind closed doors, an entertainer is a sham constantly living a life akin to that of a masquerade. They grace people with their antics, flaunting the facade, and hiding the shame concealed under their heavily weighed masks. Only then, when the crowd disperses to oblivion and the sole echo of solitude reverberates across the room, can the false pretense be put to a halt.  

Welcome to the island of misfit toys!
Where to be human is neither sin nor shame, where truth is not hidden but heralded, and where all rejoice in the embrace of an authentic self, woven together in genuine belongingness.

Shedding their masks, they stand bare, alone, and utterly silent before the secrecies cloaked in the incandescence of the limelight. The reality devoid of the spotlight, I contend, is as cruel as it gets. For into this great unknown lay one’s concealed darkest dreams, unwinding fantasies, and defenseless senses. These somewhat shameful secrets revel only in the absence of the public eye, sustained and animated by forthright candor. Yet, to reiterate, truth, its black, white, and gray areas in-between, can only truly manifest itself in a secluded reverie. 

And so, as the hour calls for truth, to finally face the music, the entertainers—stripped of the facade, laid bare in the essence of being human—become but faces in the crowd. Yet still, even when swallowed by the tide of thousands, the hunger to be seen and heard lingers before them, reaching for a certain somewhere where certainty dwells, where freedom welcomes them, and where they may finally stand, wholly and human.  

I would beg to contend that in pursuit of this shared reverie, the search for a certain someone is equally imperative, which thus highlights the necessity for immersion and integration. Truth be told that the crowd of thousands is a powerful force to be reckoned with. The fear and excitement of being sent to an unfamiliar territory where souls in all creeds and backgrounds intertwine is a tempest of longing and discovery—a dance between the unknown and the boundless possibilities.  

As such, for the trembling entertainers: don’t let fear be the chain that binds you, nor the shadow that dims your pursuit of light. Surrender to the embrace of the community, merging your spirit with the vibrant pulse of shared souls as you pursue the dawn of tomorrow.  

And perhaps, amidst the intricate melody of unity, a kindred spirit will rise from the crowd—someone who could lift you off the ground, carry you to uncharted realms, and set you soaring on the wings of possibilities toward your longed-for-reverie. Welcome to the island of misfit toys! Where to be human is neither sin nor shame, where truth is not hidden but heralded, and where all rejoice in the embrace of an authentic self, woven together in genuine belongingness. All this awaits only if you’re someone ready to be found.  

Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever a cat so clever as magical Mr. Mistoffelees?  

Email me at thebedan_editorinchief@sanbeda.edu.ph