I have to go to bed but I cannot stop reading. It is like watching a movie. :)
“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level. It’s got to happen inside first.” JIm Morrison ( The Doors).
So beautifully put; our mask sometimes becomes our persona, a protective face that hides our fear and uncertainty. But the mask must at some point come off, if we are to be known and breathe free -
The physical mask thing is also quite a common occurrence in some places still today although it doesn't really have the advertised function but scares babies and divides people. XO
The mask can also be used as a means of revealing your "True Self", or a Self you're not comfortable exposing to the public—sort of like 🙄 The Proud Boys and other...divisive groups in the U.S. where I live.
This is not to say wearing masks to free a side of yourself you'd can't or don't wish to expose to the public is always a bad thing. I use them myself—my name on here, for instance, started out as a mask I used to protect myself and my loved ones from my more "adult" writing. Over the years I've written so much under this name, as much politically as erotically, that it's become a brand as well, and one I'm comfortable wearing.
Did you ever hear the story of when The Devil fell in love? He saw this woman and he instantly fell in love with her, but the first time she met him she was terrified by his horns. So the next time he met her he wore a hat so his horns were hidden, and in that way he courted her and she fell in love with him.
Finally, they wed—and on their wedding night she had a specific request: Now that they were Husband and Wife, could he finally take off the hat? Fearing the worst, The Devil agreed and took off his hat—only to discover his horns were gone!
When I read your subheading, Charlotte, that's the story that immediately came to mind.
As before, you made me hold my breath reading your diaries. You’re not only a successful magician and former stunt woman, you’re also a wonderful story teller. Thank you Charlotte. Blessings to you 💙🙏💫
Fascinating stories, & i bet you have many. So jealous you met William Holden lol, what a cracking actor, loved many films he was in.
I personally think there was something off about Nat Woods death, i remember reading that Christopher Walken was there, but that isn't on the report, or he said he left the boat earlier. Sad affair, yet something is missing in regards to what we have been told, imo.
Quick question about the name Pendragon, is it your real name? because its an extremely old celtic name, linked with King Arthur, & you don't hear of it much at all. Sorry to be cheeky im just a bit of a geek for names & etymology lol, excuse me.
Thank you Moonshine, I greatly appreciate your kind words and support. Yes, there are many questions surrounding the death of Natalie Woods. More than answers. My name is nom de theater, and adopted from King Arthur legend.
Outstanding stuff! There are way better, more cultured references that one could make (many of which your other, more erudite readers have already kindly shared haha), but I must admit, the first thing that came to my punk-pop-emo-riddled mind was this banger from Scary Kids Scaring Kids:
You're a Dame no doubt an inspiration for those who follow… Idk Natle Woods could have been the target of foul play, but honestly, who would want to harm such a beauty? Wagner cried like a baby. Anywho with the way things are in Texas the Alamo Part 3 as they’re looking for a tiebreaker, with an economy larger than Russia and with the Rangers and the Texas Guard the largest standing Army in the county and joined by 25 States… They have the Constitutional backing and Political will to protect against invasion. Interesting times.
I almost posted *pussy after Wanger but thinking what man wouldn't cry? Plus she had that effervescent personality on stage, and surely even more so off. I really can't imagine, if even in a fit of jealous rage, it would have been a double feature. He would not be able to live with himself. No she slipped, hit her head, storming out as women of drama do do. There was an argument true but being a man I'm confident he could not. No sane man could.
I know I say it every week…but I love hearing your stories, and you tell them so beautifully. Thank you for sharing your memories with us 💙💫
I have long felt drawn to Natalie Wood…especially as a child. It’s really sad that she died the way she did when she was so afraid of water. I didn’t know she had this phobia, which makes her already mysterious passing all the more weird.
Sending you much thanks and gratitude Solara for taking the time to read my articles and share them. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support.
Stay Beautiful! 💞💫💞
Yes hers is a mysterious death. And years earlier she had visited a psychic who told her she would die from drowning. 😬
While I'm no expert in stunts, I've seen how stand-ins and high wire stunts can impress. A personal calling to join the Rod Buster team led to a chance for increased pay on a construction site, it was a decision made by the young and dumb. The job had its risks… we were rushing and working with uncured concrete. This became evident when the concrete weighed down our platform, causing a the entire structure to collapse. I experienced the thirty-foot drop, rush enough for me to barely survived, but my friend wasn't as lucky, took a bounce a small hop turned into another 90’ drop over the ledge. A moral to a story, never hitch a busy barely tested foundation and always good to have a safety specialist on site… Just in case things don't go right. Thank you sweet Charlotte for a fairly worded warning and for remembering life can always be challenging… things can too easily go sideways and too often do.
Wow, that is some story, Doc! I hope you are no longer involved in that type of dangerous work! 😳 I'm happy to read you are alive. Your guardian angel must have been watching over you. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend’s ending. 😔🙏
No thankfully I survived that stage of bouncing and boxing as well as bonding myself and my buds out of trouble. Started with a rough bunch and not much that remains from good friends who found the wrong side of the green home. But big in 🏈 made a big bouncer at the Midnight-Sun which was the top rock club in the Southeast after the Hot’lanta burned to the ground. I was only 15 but not many questioned credentials at the time;) Looking back never would've guessed those were the good ole days.
Reading set my mind off on a tangent; most of us are stunt men, roustabouts, extras or gaffers. However without us enduring the heat, doing the heavy lifting, filling the spaces, sorting/connecting the wires there wouldn't be a show.
Not deep philosophy, nor an important eureka moment, just a passing thought. :-)
What a refreshing read. You lived a life of lessons and your sharing of them is priceless. The concept of masks has always intrigued me, and humanity in general, right?
I've written about masked musicians and the reasons for the mask.
Your closing lines are very powerful and very sage advice.
In real life, it's much easier to live transparently and to be yourself. It's difficult to put on different disguises, and drains you mentally if you try to be different people. Remember, everyone wants to see the real you. Be you and not somebody else. Being real requires courage and risk, but the rewards are great.
thank you so very much, I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my post today. I look forward to reading your article about masked musicians. Intriguing! My husband is a musician/ songwriter. I'll let you know what I think! It's easy to put on a disguise and hide your soul. Let your soul shine, that's why we have one. ✨💫💞💖
Wow, Charlotte, another exciting installment, such an enjoyable read. I am giving your performance a standing ovation. I love your reflection on masks we wear and Jonathan’s decision to not add to the name of Houdini or wear that mask, but to make his own name and face known. Thank you.
Thank you for your continuing adventures in stunt work, Charlotte! I find it fascinating to read about how stunts were done, the people you met when you did them, and what movies and television shows you were in.
I have to go to bed but I cannot stop reading. It is like watching a movie. :)
“The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can’t be any large-scale revolution until there’s a personal revolution, on an individual level. It’s got to happen inside first.” JIm Morrison ( The Doors).
Wow, I love Jim’s quite! Perfect, and thank you for sharing! Sending much thanks! ✨🤗
It is also the way you write that keep us stick there reading. :) ✨
that’s quite a compliment, thank you so very much! Much appreciated! ♥️♥️♥️
So beautifully put; our mask sometimes becomes our persona, a protective face that hides our fear and uncertainty. But the mask must at some point come off, if we are to be known and breathe free -
we must unmask, and be free.
The physical mask thing is also quite a common occurrence in some places still today although it doesn't really have the advertised function but scares babies and divides people. XO
I don’t wear that kind, Lol! 😷
The mask can also be used as a means of revealing your "True Self", or a Self you're not comfortable exposing to the public—sort of like 🙄 The Proud Boys and other...divisive groups in the U.S. where I live.
This is not to say wearing masks to free a side of yourself you'd can't or don't wish to expose to the public is always a bad thing. I use them myself—my name on here, for instance, started out as a mask I used to protect myself and my loved ones from my more "adult" writing. Over the years I've written so much under this name, as much politically as erotically, that it's become a brand as well, and one I'm comfortable wearing.
I'm well aware of Oscar Wilde’s quote / wearing a mask to reveal your true self. I didn't include it, because it doesn't apply to my story.
So we’ll put R H, so many feel much more comfortable hiding behind a mask.
Thank you, and blessings to you. 🤗💕
Did you ever hear the story of when The Devil fell in love? He saw this woman and he instantly fell in love with her, but the first time she met him she was terrified by his horns. So the next time he met her he wore a hat so his horns were hidden, and in that way he courted her and she fell in love with him.
Finally, they wed—and on their wedding night she had a specific request: Now that they were Husband and Wife, could he finally take off the hat? Fearing the worst, The Devil agreed and took off his hat—only to discover his horns were gone!
When I read your subheading, Charlotte, that's the story that immediately came to mind.
Thank you DR and yes! A take on Beauty and the Beast! Love it! 😍
And Blessings to you, Charlotte! Have a wonderful evening!
💫💕💫
As before, you made me hold my breath reading your diaries. You’re not only a successful magician and former stunt woman, you’re also a wonderful story teller. Thank you Charlotte. Blessings to you 💙🙏💫
That’s so nice of you Joyce! I love your kindness and thank you for reading them and especially your I appreciate your support. Stay magical!💫💞💫
Fascinating stories, & i bet you have many. So jealous you met William Holden lol, what a cracking actor, loved many films he was in.
I personally think there was something off about Nat Woods death, i remember reading that Christopher Walken was there, but that isn't on the report, or he said he left the boat earlier. Sad affair, yet something is missing in regards to what we have been told, imo.
Quick question about the name Pendragon, is it your real name? because its an extremely old celtic name, linked with King Arthur, & you don't hear of it much at all. Sorry to be cheeky im just a bit of a geek for names & etymology lol, excuse me.
Thank you Moonshine, I greatly appreciate your kind words and support. Yes, there are many questions surrounding the death of Natalie Woods. More than answers. My name is nom de theater, and adopted from King Arthur legend.
Have an amazing week filed with magic! ✨🤗🪄💫
Great choice with the link to Merlin for your work, & thank you; you enjoy the rest of the week yourself.
Outstanding stuff! There are way better, more cultured references that one could make (many of which your other, more erudite readers have already kindly shared haha), but I must admit, the first thing that came to my punk-pop-emo-riddled mind was this banger from Scary Kids Scaring Kids:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjJL5SNynZM
Fantastic, thank you, nice video which acts as a nice accompaniment to my story. Sending you much appreciation, thank you! ✨💜✨
You're a Dame no doubt an inspiration for those who follow… Idk Natle Woods could have been the target of foul play, but honestly, who would want to harm such a beauty? Wagner cried like a baby. Anywho with the way things are in Texas the Alamo Part 3 as they’re looking for a tiebreaker, with an economy larger than Russia and with the Rangers and the Texas Guard the largest standing Army in the county and joined by 25 States… They have the Constitutional backing and Political will to protect against invasion. Interesting times.
Yes, very interesting times we live in these days Doc.
I almost posted *pussy after Wanger but thinking what man wouldn't cry? Plus she had that effervescent personality on stage, and surely even more so off. I really can't imagine, if even in a fit of jealous rage, it would have been a double feature. He would not be able to live with himself. No she slipped, hit her head, storming out as women of drama do do. There was an argument true but being a man I'm confident he could not. No sane man could.
So good 😊
Thank you The Economy Rocket! Have a beautiful day! I'm blessed to have your support! 💞💫
well written
Thank you so much! 😊 💕
I know I say it every week…but I love hearing your stories, and you tell them so beautifully. Thank you for sharing your memories with us 💙💫
I have long felt drawn to Natalie Wood…especially as a child. It’s really sad that she died the way she did when she was so afraid of water. I didn’t know she had this phobia, which makes her already mysterious passing all the more weird.
Sending you much thanks and gratitude Solara for taking the time to read my articles and share them. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support.
Stay Beautiful! 💞💫💞
Yes hers is a mysterious death. And years earlier she had visited a psychic who told her she would die from drowning. 😬
The feeling is mutual Charlotte! Thank you. Wishing you a wonderful and magical week 🤗🤗
💜✨💜
Wonderful analogy, incredible read! There truly can be no "large scale revolution" without a personal one first 🙌🏻💫
Isn’t that true? Great observation! Thank you, I appreciate your support! 🤗💖✨💫
You are so fascinating with a wealth of experience and good insight! ox
Thank you, I’m happy we can chat! Have a magical weekend!
💜💫💜
You as well! 💫
✨
While I'm no expert in stunts, I've seen how stand-ins and high wire stunts can impress. A personal calling to join the Rod Buster team led to a chance for increased pay on a construction site, it was a decision made by the young and dumb. The job had its risks… we were rushing and working with uncured concrete. This became evident when the concrete weighed down our platform, causing a the entire structure to collapse. I experienced the thirty-foot drop, rush enough for me to barely survived, but my friend wasn't as lucky, took a bounce a small hop turned into another 90’ drop over the ledge. A moral to a story, never hitch a busy barely tested foundation and always good to have a safety specialist on site… Just in case things don't go right. Thank you sweet Charlotte for a fairly worded warning and for remembering life can always be challenging… things can too easily go sideways and too often do.
Wow, that is some story, Doc! I hope you are no longer involved in that type of dangerous work! 😳 I'm happy to read you are alive. Your guardian angel must have been watching over you. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend’s ending. 😔🙏
Thank you, and have a good weekend! Stay safe!
💜💫💜
No thankfully I survived that stage of bouncing and boxing as well as bonding myself and my buds out of trouble. Started with a rough bunch and not much that remains from good friends who found the wrong side of the green home. But big in 🏈 made a big bouncer at the Midnight-Sun which was the top rock club in the Southeast after the Hot’lanta burned to the ground. I was only 15 but not many questioned credentials at the time;) Looking back never would've guessed those were the good ole days.
💜✨💜
Nicely written, as usual!
Reading set my mind off on a tangent; most of us are stunt men, roustabouts, extras or gaffers. However without us enduring the heat, doing the heavy lifting, filling the spaces, sorting/connecting the wires there wouldn't be a show.
Not deep philosophy, nor an important eureka moment, just a passing thought. :-)
Thank you! My mother used to say, “someone is needed to clean toilets.”
What a refreshing read. You lived a life of lessons and your sharing of them is priceless. The concept of masks has always intrigued me, and humanity in general, right?
I've written about masked musicians and the reasons for the mask.
https://open.substack.com/pub/riclexel/p/1st-take2nd-look-14?r=bcx26&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Your closing lines are very powerful and very sage advice.
In real life, it's much easier to live transparently and to be yourself. It's difficult to put on different disguises, and drains you mentally if you try to be different people. Remember, everyone wants to see the real you. Be you and not somebody else. Being real requires courage and risk, but the rewards are great.
thank you so very much, I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my post today. I look forward to reading your article about masked musicians. Intriguing! My husband is a musician/ songwriter. I'll let you know what I think! It's easy to put on a disguise and hide your soul. Let your soul shine, that's why we have one. ✨💫💞💖
Wow, Charlotte, another exciting installment, such an enjoyable read. I am giving your performance a standing ovation. I love your reflection on masks we wear and Jonathan’s decision to not add to the name of Houdini or wear that mask, but to make his own name and face known. Thank you.
Thank you Jenn, I'm happy you enjoyed my post and furthermore thrilled you found a morsel the wisdom of the mask metaphor. Blessings to you! 🤗✨💞💫💖
What a life you have lived, Charlotte. Man!
Thank you Bradley, please enjoy an incredible weekend! ✨💫💞💖
You as well!
✨✨
Thank you for your continuing adventures in stunt work, Charlotte! I find it fascinating to read about how stunts were done, the people you met when you did them, and what movies and television shows you were in.
Sending you lots of gratitude DR! I appreciate your wonderful support! Hugs! 🤗💞