Blast From My Past: "You are getting sleeeepy..."

Today's Blast From My Past takes me back a few years. Okay, a couple of decades (now I really feel old!) So here's the setup...

What do Bermuda and George M. Dawson High School in BC have in common? Well, I was hypnotized in both places.

[Disclaimer: I may have gotten the hypnotists' names mixed up. I mean, they're darned close--Reveen and Romane. Also, remember...I was hypnotized. I was not responsible for my actions. Really!]

It started in Bermuda, about 1979. My best friend Annmarie and I sneaked in to see a performance of the amazing Reveen, a world renowned hypnotist. I say "sneaked" because we were underage. You had to be 18; we were 16. I had always been very curious about anything remotely paranormal--things like palm reading, tarot cards, tea leaf reading, psychics of all kinds--and hypnotists.

So there I was, trying to be incognito so we wouldn't get tossed out, and then Reveen goes into his audience routines. He had everyone clasp their hands and rest them on their heads (or something to this affect). Then he does his little hypnotizing spiel and--voila! Many people in the audience found they couldn't remove their hands from their heads.

Including me--the underaged teen who was trying not to be noticed.

Well, Reveen could have said something to make us unlock, but no, it wasn't going to be that easy. Instead, he asked everyone with locked hands to come up on stage. And there lay my dilemma. Do I go up, get unlocked and risk being kicked out? Or do I stay where I was and walk around with my hands stuck to my head for the rest of my life?

So up I go...Miss Incognito. I recall feeling petrified. Not about being hypnotized--that was kind of cool. I looked at Annmarie and thought, 'Great, now we'll get booted out and she'll hate me.'

One by one, each person's hands were unlocked by the mystical Reveen. Then it's my turn. He unlocks my hands, then says, "How old are you?"

"Uh...eight--eighteen," I lied in a quivering voice.

He smiled. "Good. Would you like to stay up on stage and be part of my show?"

What? That was not what I expected.

So Miss Incognito politely excused herself and went skulking back to her seat.

Well, the show continued, I relaxed and we had a great time. I couldn't believe all the crazy things he'd gotten people to do. It was a night I've never forgotten.

Flash forward...1981 - Masset, QCI, BC - George M. Dawson gymnasium. Our special guest? Romane, another well-known hypnotist.

The show starts with the same idea--audience participation. Of course, he wants to see whose mind is susceptible to being put under. And there goes Cheryl, up to the stage to have her hands unlocked. This time I decided to be part of the show. What the hell was I thinking?!

The skeptical part of my brain thought, 'There's no way he'll put me that far under.'

Well, all I can say is that by the end of the show, I "woke" up. It seemed like 5 minutes had passed. When I tried to remember, it was like I had my eyes closed and was having a very blurry, weird dream. I believe I was in a "fashion show" and did the catwalk or something. Good grief!

I vaguely recall being a concert pianist. Of course there was no piano on stage...but I know I played my heart out. (Maybe I should audition for the New York Symphony.) I think I ended up sitting on some poor guy's lap. Remember my disclaimer? NOT RESPONSIBLE!

Then after the show, every time someone said, "You were hypnotized, Cheryl", I had this Tourette's syndome-like compulsion to reply with, "Oh, go eat fish!" I couldn't understand why people kept coming up to me and telling me I'd been hypnotized. Wasn't it obvious? I mean, they saw the damned show, for crying out loud. And why the heck was I telling them to eat fish, when I really wanted to say snidely, "Wow, you're observant."

But instead, out pops, "Oh, go eat fish!"

There's nothing stranger than hearing something come out of your mouth that you had no idea you were going to say. Well, wait. There's one thing stranger...hearing your mother's words come out of your mouth. "Just wait until you have kids!"

Have you every been hypnotized? What did you do? Would you do it again? If not, would you like to be?

Please leave me a comment. :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,

bestselling author of Whale Song

Blast From My Past: Cheryl's singing career continues

Ok, I've told you about my singing debut and now I'll tell you how my "career" took off. I think I was about 12 the first time I entered a talent show in Masset, BC. I believe that first time I sang 'I Can See Clearly Now' and 'Amazing Grace', while strumming on my old guitar.

I was excited and nervous. The lights were bright and hot on that stage and I could barely make out the people in the audience. I think there were a couple of hundred--I'm not sure.
I had spent weeks practicing, gaining my confidence.

And then I sang. I can still recall the thrill of singing in front of an audience. At the time I was such a shy kid, with a poor self-image and low self-esteem. But I did it. I managed to pull off 2 songs with barely a missed note.

Later, at the end of the talent show, they announced the winners of the various categories. When they called my name, I was so shocked. How could I have possibly beat these other contestants? It was an amazing feeling when I went up to the stage to accept my trophy. I still have it...somewhere.

I just went to check and the 2 trophies I have are still packed away. Maybe one day, I'll dig them out, polish them up and take a pic. For now, I can tell you, I won first place soloist. I can't remember if I won anything else with it; the trophy was such a big deal to me at the time.

The following year, I entered the talent show again. I think I sang "Froggie Went A Courtin'"...and I don't remember the second song...maybe "California Dreamin'" I won second place soloist. A boy named Glenn Lamourie beat me that year.

I played guitar for many years afterward, and loved singing and writing my own songs. I recall sitting on the deck near the bay at our house in Bermuda. Yes, I was blessed and lived in Bermuda for 3 years. I would sit on the deck at night, playing and singing and watching the glass bottom boats go by with their brass drum music and people's laughter echoing across the water. Once I played and sang so loud they heard me and applauded.

A singer was born. And I still sing. In the shower, in my car, at the store, when I'm getting my hair done, while cooking, in the hot tub...I sing all the time. And sometimes I hum. It drives my family nuts. :)

This is a great memory--a great Blast From My Past to think about. If you have your own "Blast From Your Past" to share, please do so. I welcome all comments.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

Blast From My Past: Cheryl's acting and singing debut

I have decided to blog a series of articles titled 'Blast From My Past', so that you have a chance to really get to know me, maybe have a laugh or two. I'm going to dig deep on some of these, and dates may be off somewhat because we moved around a lot.

So here's the first Blast From My Past...

I'm not sure how old I was, but it was in elementary school--Tahayghen Elementary in Masset, Queen Charlotte Islands, BC, to be exact. For those who are geographically challenged, the Charlottes are on the West coast, north of Vancouver Island. Beautiful, wild and isolated...
One year, we had a school play. Winnie the Pooh.

I was Eeyore.

Okay, stop laughing.

You're probably saying something like: "So that's why she likes to make an a$$ of herself."

Yes, I was the donkey....heehaw!

And I had a great role. We did the story where Eeyore lost his tail, so I was very important to this play. Oh, and I forgot to mention, it was a musical. I had to sing in a very low, bored sounding voice. It's funny--I actually remember that part. I even remember some of the words...

"Christopher Robin is coming. When? Nobody knows, but he is coming..."

My costume was a very warm (I think flannel) one piece outfit. Then there was a cap with long droopy ears and a tail held on by a safety pin. Thank God I have no pictures!

The musical was a success.

So even in my younger years, I had a passion for telling a story. And to this day, I still make an a$$ of myself on occasion. And I've found my tale--in writing.

I invite you to check out a multi-author blog I am involved in...more voices, more tales.