True Tales

[chelidon]

So there are all these blogging memes going around right now. I generally am mildly allergic to memes (always gotta be the heretic, I guess), but there is a piece of this one that appeals to me, so I'll roll my own version:


Ask me a question, anything you like, funny or serious, and I'll answer truthfully and to the best of my knowledge or supposition, no matter the subject, so long as it doesn't betray any confidences, oaths or so on. Depending on the question, I may reply here, or I may answer privately. Depending on how many questions I get and what they are, I may by necessity be brief, but I will answer as well as I can within the time I have.

And if I don't get any questions, that's just fine, too ;>

(all comments screened)

Comments

[firebirdgrrl.livejournal.com]

What was the funniest dream you ever had?

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'm not sure which is funniest, but one that comes to mind was pretty fun:

This was a prison camp dream, one of those movie-dreams where you go back and forth from watching it to being a part of it, a historical piece, set in China after the Japanese invasion of WWII. John Wayne was the lead, a British POW, who was captured along with a bunch of others. The Japanese prison camp commander made use of the local Chinese nobility, who of course hated the Japanese, but were used to keep the populace in control, and who knew that their position, land, family safety, and creature comforts depended on collaborating, that if they rebelled, they'd be stripped of everything and along with their families thrown in prison where the other prisoners would likely kill or maim them. Some of the Chinese nobility, however, were doing what they could to help the prison camp inmates where they could do it without a chance of getting caught.

So John Wayne (you remember John...) ended up being able to occasionally sneak out of the camp and get needed supplies, stuff to help them escape, etc, by dressing in traditional Chinese women's garb and pretending to be one of the washer women who came in to do the maintenance and cleanup at the prison camp. Somehow John Wayne in my dream looked not only passable but damn hot in that peasant garb, though still quite butch, of course. So hot, in fact, that one of the female members of the local Chinese nobility (who are, like I said, ostensibly collaborating with the Japanese, but are secretly trying to resist as long as they can do it without getting killed/imprisoned/losing their stuff), takes quite a fancy to John-in-drag, thinking he is a woman. Turns out she's a butch dom, so hilarity ensues. One scene had her riding by on her horse -- as she passes Wayne, who is bending over doing something, she stops and tries to surreptitiously lift up the back of the hem of his/her dress with her riding crop. He's afraid that she'll see his legs and the jig will be up, but what she sees, she likes, and she thinks he's shy besides, which attracts her still further. I woke up before I found out how it all ended, more's the pity, but it was awfully fun while it lasted.

[alobar.livejournal.com]

> so long as it doesn't betray any confidences, oaths or so on.

What sorts of secrecy oaths have you sworn? Are these oaths recent, or oaths you swore when younger?

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Hmm, several, both magickal orders and sekrit societies, all when I was far younger, none of which are organizations I have participated in for a good number of years now. I am not sure I would swear such oaths now, it's just not where I'm at these days...though I can see in some cases agreeing not to reveal certain kinds of information to non-initiates without certain training, etc. I guess where I draw the line these days is where I see secrecy or oaths as being self-perpetuating markers of exclusivity, pointless mind-games or pure horseshit mystique, versus the more valid concept of not handing people loaded guns or hand grenades (or chainsaws) without teaching them how to use them safely first.

[alobar.livejournal.com]

I kinda thought so. Your experience pretty much matches mine.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

I'm also reminded of the many oaths that have the loyalty clauses, i.e., "accept as a Brother all fellow (whatever}, near and far, known and unknown," yadda yadda. Ha. Sorry, met too many whacked-out people in any org who caused me to go "urk" to commit to that again... ;>

[jennlynn-green.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm. What is something I don't know about you?

That's got to be an easy one...

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Hmm, something really out there, totally out of character from what you know of me....how about the more martial side....

In high school I applied to, was accepted/had nominations for all three military service academies (Annapolis, West Point, AF Academy), and almost attended...until I came to my senses (and a little later in life, almost applied to the military medical school in D.C.), I was the Tactical Officer and a Cadet Major in JROTC, was on the rifle team and was a nationally-ranked riflery competitor, did color guard and still vaguely remember the manual of arms (drill forms) for saber and rifle, fenced competitively in high school and college, did live steel combat and various kinds of re-enactment of historical weapons forms, hunted with both bow and blackpowder musket, dabbled in several martial arts, and can still set up a decent ambush/counter-ambush or field strip a 1911-type handgun with my eyes closed.

So there you go. Not so much my life these days... About the most I do in those realms more recently is setting up nice fireworks shows a couple of times a year ;>

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Also, because you asked earlier, I know you don't know this -- double-Pisces (sun-moon conjoined) trine Neptune and Jupiter, Scorpio rising.

Well who knew?!

[cerr.livejournal.com]

I was in the ROTC at the U of MT......and was the captain of the color guard there......wild.....and we've got the same take on oaths as you'd written above - shocker LOL

Haven't really got a question, but my jaw did drop a bit when I read the jrotc bit here.....

Re: Well who knew?!

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

heh. Well, that's interesting...

[(Anonymous)]

Nice...you surprised me.

I totally would have pegged you for a music or theatre geek in school (and I'm saying that as a music/theatre geek in school).

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Well what's funny is that I was a music/theatre geek, or rather I was, and then I wasn't, and then I was again.

Lemme 'splain... I enjoyed drama as a kid, was in a bunch of shows, took piano lessons, etc, then was in orchestra, second-seat violin in 7th and 8th grade, then gave that up for the guitar (had one lying around the house that someone had given to us years before for some reason) and just picked it up one day and started noodlin' on it... I was very active in choral singing and drama up until my sophomore year in H.S., when I totally dropped it all...until half-way through senior year, when I had a 180 change in heart about many things. I had been heading for a military academy or an engineering school (MIT, etc), was loaded up with AP science and math, and...suddenly realized I was making a big mistake. This wasn't what I wanted, it was what I thought was somehow expected of me, it was someone else's script for life, not mine.

So half-way through senior year I dropped most of the math and science, loaded up with AP creative writing, art, history, pulled way back from ROTC and such things, decided not to go the military route, and got back into theatre, did several shows..which is how I met C, BTW, but that's another story...

My life might have been very, very different had I not came to my senses when I did!

[ravenedgewalker.livejournal.com]

"rifle team and was a nationally-ranked riflery competitor"

so was my brother - though I think he may have even made international junior ranking.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Hmm, depending on which brother this is, I'm not sure him being able to shoot straight is a good thing...

A Question.

[storm-and-raven.livejournal.com]

What is the *one* thing you have done that you would most like to leave behind as your legacy when you are gone? (Not including fathering your lovely child, as I am sure that he is your truest legacy, genetic and otherwise.)

Re: A Question.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Shoot, you don't ask easy questions...

Okay, since you took out me kiddo, I guess the thing I am proudest of is my relationship with C, as lover, partner, co-parent, magickal partner, dream-sharer, and co-manifester over the last 23 years. We've both made our share of missteps, I know I have, but...the dance goes on, because love lasts, grows and deepens, and because we have both chosen for it to go on, though very good times and very hard times alike.

Now that's not quite your question, perhaps -- legacy after I'm gone...but there, too, perhaps the same thing. I know, without any ego attachment or gilded/rust thing going on, that a lot of people have told us over the years that we've inspired them in their own relationships, not because either of us are a shining example of perfection (far from it), but because we've made it work anyway. And because of our stable partnership over the years, and our shared goals, we've been able to build a home, and now a place to share with others, a hermitage, an oasis, and been able to give and share friendship, hospitality, and create a warm, powerful place for people to do their own Work, their own art (and Art)...the ripples go out. And we've been able to give the kind of stable, loving, grounded home that I didn't have myself, to F, and that ripples out, too.

But it all, for me, comes back to that foundation that C and I have built together, one day at a time.

And she got me ROSES for my birthday!!!

:)

[draiguisge.livejournal.com]

If I get a job at Dartmouth, will you help move my furniture? ;)

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

*lol* For you, absolutely. And that's not an offer I'd make for very many people these days ;>

[draiguisge.livejournal.com]

Heh, well if it comes down to it, you'll luck out anyway since I really don't have much furniture anymore. :)

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

Well for purely selfish reasons, I'll hope it does come down to it -- it would be great to have ya up here!