Face it, magic's an odd preoccupation. Our goal as magicians is to work so hard on our technique that it becomes invisible, in order to show people things that clearly can't happen. And people wonder why magicians are so odd.
The dichotomy really is crucial to what draws many (and I include myself) to magic. We tend to have odd views of the world, and are often not mainstream in other areas of our lives. Magic tends to mirror (if not correct) many of the oddities we find in our own personalities.
I got fed up with magic club politics once and was bitching to a friend about it, threatening to quit magic. He told me I couldn't do that, because I didn't choose magic, it chose me. Once I thought about that I decided he was right. Magic really does have an insidious hold on me.
Why magic? I want to remind people, myself included, that there is still wonder in the world and it's worth seeking.