Caught up in the beauty of spring, I drove by Grover Cleveland Park on my way back to the church. That's when I saw the juggler. There's something about an impromptu exhibition of such dexterity, almost magically keeping those pins in the air, that causes you to pause. A small crowd of young people gathered, and even answering their questions, he never broke his concentration. He was fully absorbed in keeping those pins moving skillfully about him.

I've watched and talked with Don the juggler several times since. I've seen him pick up the strangest objects and immediately get them going in those same pure arcs-first one . . . then two . . . three . . .even four. Don, a self-taught juggler, insists modestly that it's easy. He began with balls, went to rings, and finally took on pins, the most difficult. Don claims you can learn quickly to juggle just three objects, but it becomes increasingly difficult when you have four or five. After years of juggling, he still fears breaking his focus, ...