How a Magic SideShow Became My Full-Time Job and She Wanted to Become a Movie Star, so She Moved to... a National Park?

I'm always upgrading my car because I need to because I want to today it's custom rims for my ride tomorrow might be a new driver side seat cushion and eBay motors.com always has what I need. They got over 122 million carports all at the right price that's perfect for me because I'm a car guy garage killing morning almost on okay I'm a car fanatic eBay motors. Let's ride Vanguard is owned by your investors chose a plan sponsor no matter what you were your employees goals are there hours to. That's the value of ownership. Visit Vanguard.com and discover ownership from shareholders on the functional Vanguard middle-market Corporation St., Missus Lee Habib and this is our American stories we tell stories about everything here on the show from the arts to sports and from business to history and everything in between including your story.

Send them our American stories.com. Some of our favorites and today we have a story from where we live right here in Oxford, Mississippi, and it's a small town. A small college town, home of Ole Miss. About an hour south of Memphis. Steve Thomas is lived in our town for over 30 years. Today, easier to share with us his story taken away for deep. Thomas is a magician and balloon making X. He goes to the local farmers market and events here in town make balloons for people he's our own personal small town celebrity. Steve has always left magic, but his path to full time magician and balloon artist didn't start until his 40s.

Stevens had several jobs throughout his career. He started off in Raytown where he worked for over 20 years after his time in radio came to an end. Went to work for FedEx and became a dangerous good specialists. He worked at FedEx for 14 years, until one day something happened just over a decade ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease is a work one night and I picked up a 1 pound box turned around and set it down my shoulder pop and that was all she wrote for the shoulder by not having really expensive for different procedures on her right shoulder and when I get done with that I have a little tremor and the doctor eventually figured out what was course FedEx that if you can't come back to work at hundred percent [all but are several different ways you can manifest the condition it's basically your body doesn't produce enough dopamine or produces too much dopamine or you dopamine receptors. The things that take it in efforts produce don't work correctly or the synapses that go from the muscles to the brain don't work correctly because of the lack of that was just a long process of trying to figure out what medicine to give you what you need more dopamine with the needed receptors worked on another talk about brain surgery in you know may not have the best friend in the world that I only get one and I don't want to go digging around in their book the wrong voltage battery up is progressive, but by my doctors and I've had three or four doctors as they move off their own neuromotor specialists and they'll tell you Parkinson's doesn't kill you will die from Parkinson's. I mean you, you may lose the use of an arm or leg or get tremors in mind unilateral into the left side of my brain, which means it affects the right side of my body, but 80% of us in my arm, 20% of my leg occasionally little flutter my butt. If you meet me and watch me work. Chances are, if I'm not moving or doing anything. I have him in my pocket. That's to cannot hide that tremor thing that goes on but it gets to a lot of people, you know all my my father was diagnosed at one point it is light years with what they thought was Parkinson's and he cried it out. I don't see the purpose in crying and it's nonproductive. Steve is not only so relaxing. This response to life.

I've always well I have a general realizing I was a kid I was bawling nerves. I had an ulcer. When I was like six peptic ulcer just from worrying and stress I learned early on worrying doesn't change anything to change the outcome of doing to get it. It will be her yearly bleeding ulcer will do that for when they start talking about. You gotta take this medicine as long as you have in the other was a long time ago. I'm sure it may not even been with with the doctors that was but each delegate to you. I mean if you give a stranger day that would be an otherwise good day worrying about how tomorrow's can be, then you just screwed up today by I guess I can talk about Parkinson's patients because I am one no relax I mean I know people who have Parkinson's two years and they can get up out of the wheelchair and I know mine is minimal. My progression is very minimal.

If it hadn't been for the results of the DAT scan. I don't think the doctor would even admit that I had it, but it showed up nearly injected was a radioactive stuff and seek in a CAT scan machine after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. He left FedEx and return to something.

He was familiar with magic.

I've actually been doing magic and entertaining people for 44 years.

Bill and when I was a kid I did chose to my first show I was nine, was a pain thing I remember is my but my buddy and I perform together and we told it was five dollars and she hears each five dollars. So we thought we had a gold mine.

If you pay twice as much is your expecting so did that for a while. Then I packed away all the magic when I got into the radio thing is that and I was up at 3 o'clock every morning and after I got married or met him I was after I met my wife as of my father's house and I went into storage shed is all this magic stuff I thought well water history using some food, went from no liquor store cardboard box full of magic stuff to. I have thousand square feet of my house. Now this nothing but magic everything on the walls in on everything decorating all the books. 12 bookcases full of magic books and somewhere along in there while I was entertaining as I did 12 years of Pizza Hut restaurants for kids night somewhere. There are seven to get balloon art because they wanted something more conducive to littler kids started doing that probably 15, 16 years ago and you were listening to Steve Thomas and these are local celebrity of the magician, the guy who shows up at the parties entertains the kids everybody knows him in town struck with Parkinson a tough disease is and I didn't see the purpose in crying it's nonproductive and he knew a lot about the kind of person who worries himself to death because he was that person when he was younger more of Steve Thomas's life here on our American stories view of the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, or asking you to become a part of the our American stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country.

Please make a donation monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters total our American stories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming to our American stories.com I know everything about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent and make sure my business stays piping hot and confident. The small business owners to help you fast State Farm is in your corner and on leg and a neighbor.

There call your local State Farm agent for quote today so tours can be time-consuming and tedious and daunting hands launching still overwhelmed her cell if you want to get those larger laundry loads done right and get back to doing the things you enjoy. Try all three clear megaplex. All three clear that figure packs. The two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack any laundry load without the worry of three clear megaplex are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and gentle on skin, which is great for any family sensitive skin needs syndication kids get back from summer camp pilot laundry just now that all three clear negative packs Purchase all three clear megaplex today and conquer any laundry load for fabric types you guys, this is Tori, and Jenny with the 90210 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at at iHeartRadio type event windows handout.

Did you know that near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still set an exciting event like Wingo tango. It's true. I had one night I took minor attack ODT and I was present amazing time.

A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends. This episode was brought to you by near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully no attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like Wingo tango down have to be next and we returned to our American stories into Steve Thomas's story are local magician and balloon art expert, let's return to faith and continue the story when Steve is young Canterbury a lot of bucks in order to learn about magic it would go to the library and check out whatever matchbook you could find in absorb everything and that in after you've covered all the magic books.

Even back then there was much to do, especially here, there is a magic shop in Memphis. My parents would take me there occasionally, and I would learn a couple things from one of the guys working there and work on those that I have kids to come over to my house for magic tutoring and magic lessons, I guess what comes around goes around. I'm glad to see some kids getting into magic deeper forms for all ages.

He has his favorites list of the better than a birthday party for like 50-year-old lady and everybody's having a good time and just do things because you people that a Jew had to worry about comprehension where as if you have a group of 50 kids there some three and four and five-year-olds in their is little comprehension issue you have to keep gear things toward the younger audience and I do that I live just to make you smile and laugh throughout his magic career Steve son and daughter have played roles in some of the shadows there many times he's taken a show on the road which provided some great quality time for Steve and his son everywhere from the stores I've been is New London Missouri further south is New Orleans in any state in between there didn't cut old and I'm not big on that two weeks away from home thing but these two library shows every summer we would book 2 weeks every day would have two shows two different towns in my son I would load up all our stuff would go out, go to the town in a hotel room. The set up stuff the library will have dinner go home go back to the hotel. Go to sleep. The next they do show on the next. Some of our best times and some of the most interesting conversations we never had you as my son could come up with some lines that would crack you up. He's a hilarious human being. Some of our funniest moments were in New Orleans when I just think the room he was 11 and I scheduled a meeting with a friend of mine who also has balloons is clown is goofy.

So were in this little hole in the wall like five table bar middle of the day. Sgt. balloons is a bit by a pile of balloons on the table in the struck blonde girl comes up and says oh you to do balloons and I look to my friend. He looked at me and were just shook our heads. But the limits of balloons for her and she gave us a bunch of money and my sense of their being required so she came time to leave for her to leave.

She walked up and she gave us more money and she had a basketball pick sheet of the first thing about sports. I know football is on this pointy onions facility. I know, but she came up and she said I need some help me with this basketball pick sheet. Can you help me in my buddy Joe. He did know anything about it. I don't know anything about something. Is your man right here when my son is 11. So he BS her, along with the best and she gave him some money and she said my sons.

11 she's college. She survived her how I can never thank you. He looked her square in the eye and he said about you give me your phone number and I was speechless. And that's very rare for me to be speechless.

I support what did you say you are 11 years old she hated. He said can't hurt to ask.

After living in Oxford for so many years and doing magic and balloon art for parties throughout that time Steve is widely recognized. I met Steve at the coffee shop in the square here in town. If you go there often enough, you will begin to see a lot of the same people and there are always kids in an air hose from the table talking to me now was waving at me from across the room. I think it's great. I love making friends and and seems kids grow up, I get to parents who come up to me and say you you did by birthday party when I was five. This is my little girl.

She seven. We want to see if you can come to her party wall and making me feel really old. It makes me feel good that they remember who I am what I do. Some people who were children's entertainers talk about the kids are so bad that we do to keep the kids in line later shows where some your techniques while my technique is I'm 6 foot three and I were 265 pounds and I've developed this little goatee that has a purpose that you little more grown-up. Have a hearing in each year, which I guess makes the kids think you're not like you normally not like that so they the tennis act right, of course, before our conversation was over. Had to ask Steve to me is balloons with him all the time or security.

That's what we have seen perfect and if you ever seen the coffee shop without a value balloons and temperature at the kid who would say you have an event that's another thing that most people to real people see me do balloons our mouth inflate most people don't. Because it takes a lot of lung power developing these delays and I have apnea closely with the breathing machine every night while in one way, pulmonologist meetings or appointments I asked as I told the doctor what I do and insight was tested out and tested out my lung capacity that I have almost doubled lung capacity.

In doing the green on the balloon lesson excellency of the government regularly was previously so there with you doing a lot of people who are fantastic with balloons and friends. All of the life-size motorcycles and the like three days I would rather make something quick and easy and I think my entertainment value comes more in the interaction between me and the child of the parents that it does affect your balloon looks exactly like Ronald Reagan or whoever. Whatever you try to make you take the heart heart heart and people watch me do those times of want. The conversation safe and watching anything I make.

I can make behind my back without looking at doing this because I say before you walk out with and you know that will put a smile on her teachers face child's face moms face is about 80-year-old lady think it's lethally creative with them but give a surround balloon and I don't recommend doing this because even I have my limitations will do balloon for anybody and for because of the whole choking hazard.

If I know the child and I know they're not good at this. One of the knobby sickening fist in her mouth all doable informative you give like a five-year-old around balloon surround balloon the picture on it or anything.

The plaintiff until it pops the polluter for hours and I don't know what is this where they say it's a it's a gift bag of my breath at their local magician.

Emily and I expect Steve Thomas 950 Canon American stories. It's just a bag of my breath much more than that any of us could try this. I tried 100 times affect this year.

I know of a new New Year's resolution.

It's to get Steve Thomas to teach me how to do. I live just to make it smile and laugh. He said I try to cheer up a kid who's having a bad day a great story about a guy who deals with Will a really tough and slow and debilitating disease called Parkinson's by ignoring and just going on about his day cheerfully making other people's days happier Steve Thomas's story here on our American stories. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent and make sure my business days piping hot and competent business owners to help you best.

State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor.

There call your local State Farm agent for quote today so tours can be time-consuming and tedious. And there's nothing more daunting hands launching still overwhelmed so if you want to get those larger laundry loads done right and get back to doing the things you enjoy. Try all three clear mega packs all three clear mega packs and finger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack any laundry load without the worry all three clear mega packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and gentle on skin, which is great for any family sensitive skin needs indication can't get back from summer camp giant pile of laundry just now that all three clear mega packs Purchase all three clear mega packs and conquer any laundry load for fabric types you guys, this is Tori, and Jenny with the 90210 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT. We recorded it at iHeartRadio type event windows handout. Did you know that your tech ODT were magic pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event windows handout I had one night I took minor tech ODT and I was present and had an amazing time. A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends. This episode was brought to you by near tech ODT were magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully no tech ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like windows handout don't have to be next. Then we returned to our American stories next will hear from Donna Martin telling us about her first time leaving Mississippi at age 19 for summer job in Yosemite, California. She thought she was headed to become a famous movie star.

But life and other and better plans for us.

Take a listen that info last Mississippi and Leanne on the same street as a major chicken plant say depending on what time of day it was very hard to read a straight said I was a man from the front yard 11 and I daresay people at this site. Always be looking at you straight when I do a lot Mount has to get it felt like nonpayment privacy. The whole time of great just a high school that I was going to leave this to be at some point probably never get back on the treaty.

Jan wanted to be made time. My colleagues think about why cannot I write how is any famous pain like everything is my very good friend with University and she calm a ring like spring bank and see if these were craters entire school this summer program and we can get work in California send me my get his first said me and she sounded… Says they're excited is going to be in California light work during the day and the weekends are at night, or whatever how to get from our additions and anything she was like coming your skills or hobbies and I gave you like a list of jobs that were available in a lifeguard just like in the summers back home safe and sound. That to me and I got all my training anything checked say the trip planned and left on 18th only consider transportation to get us from airports and sanity as I chatted taking heel taxicab stand for S girls to be by herself limousine railing make my time. Despite the prom or something to gain anything sound nice in nature rather like… Have course, well away from champagne and champagne is this person will be away here and things are happening and is being aware.

She's really made sure that we were say this guy and all, we have to start going and it's very twisty attorney like me look like I'm flailing this big humongous line again for capital projects. From that partaking whenever Dave is offering to pull their own skull anything to be old-school. It's made.

There's no way to pull out the whole entire time the driver started to cave and he's like, click nearly finally gets a way where it dropped Dolph and Alex. It was $200 in travelers checks, gaming bear and I may say it's a really humid the whole summer say shorts and T-shirts and tank tops and we get the car and there is snow on top of the mountains and in shorts. It was freezing say thank goodness my mom had given me $200 in travelers checks that refer emergency immediately had a guide to the mountain store were dragged along the lines convey the stocks probably for skiers and I wasn't getting any Miller capital at work and say way that is sometimes until late One minute that the land like a like to watch it. Elisha Clay is available when you needed it just cannot get a situation say way get our lodging and the Ralph inside RA literally like you to click here for rest. While behind him was a wood floor save half To camping and they were like anything you not allow anything because there's players and I will call your fave says that was scary absolutely had to say ever with me and I for 1990 need you send, mountain climbing, people gathered around, I was just trying to get to California to get anything what is now northern California. Southern California's way to guide to Hollywood or whatever to do these allegations taking to get daylight money say they lifeguard BLT and amazing whatever night and on weekends. My days off on this bebop. David said Southern California laden foundations and the next day orientation, and outputting we can get our little Johnny sonic since I'm prepared to make a lifeguard and yet the percent to six freezing says you going to be a housekeeping.

That's how I make money in my house.

The main savings back and say person doing this scratchy horrific outfit yet that Maasai not adorable, so uncomfortable that this way you know what material it wasn't wrinkle say that it didn't wrinkle.

You could have run Everett with the car would not mark it was really happy and we can get our assignments and he's like way older than me today and we got to clean and very nice and tells my strength ever. That really cleaned lady checking in any trouble repeating claim against white glove inspection terrified. It is mainly mean to me trying to really clean good. I found out later that when Trey never came checked on me. Make sure they were and were listening to Donna Martin tell her story. Her adventure to California where she thought she will find stardom and never come home only.

There was a slight detour and a slight miscalculation when we come back more of this American dream or story, but didn't quite work out here on our American story. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent and make sure my business days piping hot nickel and confident their small business owners to help you best.

State Farm is in your corner and on like a good neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing chores can be time-consuming and tedious. And there's nothing more daunting piles of laundry done. Still overwhelmed. So if you want to get those larger laundry loads done right and get back to doing the things you enjoy. Try all three clear mega packs all three clear mega packs and figure packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular laundry load without the worry all three clear mega packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and gentle on skin, which is great for any family sensitive skin needs to come home from the kitchen or the kids get back from summer camp giant pile of laundry now that all three clear mega packs Your back purchase all three clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types you guys, this is Tori, and Jenny with the 90210 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by nerve attack ODT. We recorded it at iHeartRadio's tentpole event window tango. Did you know that nerve attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still attend such an exciting event window tango.

It's true. I had one night I took my nerve attack ODT and I was present and had an amazing time. Here's a little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends. This episode was brought to you by nerve attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can be missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully nerve attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like window tango don't have to be next and were back at our American stories, and with Donna Martin and her story. When we last left off should gotten her job assignment. After arriving in Yosemite, which he thought would be being a lifeguard and she was qualified to do instead being placed in housekeeping. Three.

Great job at this point is down and that's lifeguard that is not flattering at all and this year was amazing things I never even heard of like manicotti and never any Miller manicotti was so good with the topic.

It is really good thing I didn't start with these humongous pieces take it didn't take long at all and align away did not realize how much I really gained until payment saved over like something and like bragging and so one day I was guiding looking around right under nine should year under the sand say this little bully and I can tell you're not touching the bottom that he's not maybe looking and that yelling is not anything to help, said I want to jump down in the water because I would've jumped on just jumped up and just climbed down anything which I didn't realize until later this horrible brazen keel said Diane and he just went over the same thing whatever and not always like Billy Harding and eyes, mom back home in this town are that it is like a stone Braves which I thinksome kind of a centering thing to say again, think back on it now. Like a stone Braves lady picture Hill on concrete inside the main meeting for this is that she tell me that she think I get home and cut it in half and picked up a tie that into the white part of your heel said take the pain away.

Did it say this country bunk and lock around even doing think about it one week off me friend. We decided we would seen a craze in noncurrent byway in the white Santa Santa Christ when I need to pay Monica to get her car in line down the red little red car was like getting out of state and I realized they like it took us so long to get here. There is no way I am going to make any further say to be back to work and I realize we are beginning to do any additions clearly been disseminated is not getting get me close to LA to get allegations set. I just thought I would get college again and figure out but as in day next and going to him yes and on a we are hiring $10 an hour.

I have to Davis, alumni asking for money making out said you get these folders at all days alumni to call to ask for donations set somebody in my little files she was in New York City and she was an actress and that she worked for performing arts school in your city.

I was excited to anybody calls you working today this long conversation. She gave me her permission to collar again. Just tell me where she laid and she was can help me test set planned and started dating this guy and tell him what I was can a day that was going to New York and I was going to and he was going to be going to medical school and like okay that's great never see after the summer. My mom about my plans and excited now need to get our airline tickets anything to get New York and she tells me know I will need to get your degree okay will work out and we can hang out like you to them or the case of a stain around longer to graduate to be going back to school in the fall and I realize I don't like this theater stuff that I wanted day – when a be maybe start on Monday. Theater said to change my major.

Again, this Patient how long I was in graduate change on major banners and pass the classes. I remember being in the grocery store with my band boyfriend and I remember saying to have something to graduate with pain didn't look at the nursing thing and he does will leave the English graduate major in English so many classes in English that I was able to graduate with things to great change manager for the time becoming an English major take his creative writing class rehab. These writers, and residents that were coming. Teacher class and baby Hannah is the same as Friday and he got to come and teach someone to exercise any right, he said gay and you just read a story from beginning to and in many stopped and mastoid kits for him to read and it was in Tirana is actually a tragedy if you've ever been to Oxford, Mississippi, the red baby Mary and there's cars that are part all along the side in our little town square and said I would see people riding their bikes and only to think like a caught door and that biker is right, just at the nick of time and flip catastrophize and I let LA stay in my mind became nervous like ours in the story. There's a God riding a bicycle and some things his car doing that biker flipped it was tearful as he exclaimed, letting his readiness stories on the ramp to the touchscreen story. He starts acting up reading the story sounded said nuts actually happened because measures normal to go around thinking of worst-case scenarios all the time I got a to take his glasses off.

He's wiping the tears off of his family make my bed and began instead me. Then I ended up easing at grade to become a schoolteacher elementary school teacher. So I became an actress in a different way with kindergarten students because every day I shed my be a client on you might be may pop things might be a book carried tearful and the books they read saying a lot. It was a lie of changing it and putting on a shed doing it was actually a lot of things I didn't necessarily become mom actually I didn't.com and movie star. I wanted to be serious and just imagine these dramatic Navy scenes and I guess what I should've been all along with myself and not someone else said the way that my life and all the little twists and turns that Chuck God really had our Roommate because I got to say that summer in California how much I missed the south, and a Cornbread and sweet tea, being benefited and then went on that this guy that Palestine found love with husband guy just change inside my desires inside my heart to be a mom and family. I'm so happy the way actually turned out and were so happy.

It actually turned out well to Donna Martin excitement was produced by her daughter, our own medicine did a terrific job on the production what invoice you just heard in Oxford who knows Donna knows what a storyteller she is.

A clock will start our pass will be the most delightful.

Our ever listen to my goodness, what a story she told Tom which it I never saw the East Coast.

I moved to the west and away Madison's mom had to discover Mississippi by leaving story of dreams not shattered but reinvented the story of Donna Martin on our American story