A few years ago my friend was at my house and he knocked over a cup of toothpicks. The toothpicks fell on the floor and scattered everywhere. He looked down at the mess he created and said, “Aw man, I just dropped thirty-two toothpicks on the ground!”
I thought that was an oddly specific thing to say, so I counted the toothpicks. Lo and behold, there were exactly thirty-two toothpicks. I was amazed. A real life Rain Man in my own home! I had to test his skills. I grabbed a handful of change from my dresser, threw the coins on the floor, and asked him how many coins there were.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I just guessed how many toothpicks there were.”
And just like that, my sense of wonder shriveled away. I was duped. There is no magic in the world. Well played, Jon. Well played.
Critically Rated at 14/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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