This page is for regular updates on my life both inside and outside the acting and film industry. I'll be posting it quarterly with all the latest news and happenings.
Posted January 18, 2012
11 months ago I posted the doings in my life. And as much that has gone on since then, I still hadn’t found the time to update this page … until now. There is much that has gone on, and much that will go on moving forward.
We are in a time of great personal and global change. I believe we stand on the knife edge of destiny, personally and globally, and it can go either way. And in both cases our lives and how we live them will be unequivocally changed by the end of this year.
My hope is that it go the way of peace and connectedness, otherwise … who knows?
BONNIE AND I GOT MARRIED IN MAUI ON JANUARY 8 2012
It was a beautiful sunny day on the morning of January 8, 2012 the day we chose to affirm our vows of matrimony to each other. The events leading up to that moment were very noteworthy too.
Bonnie had been queried constantly about “when the happy day will be” since I’d gotten her the engagement ring on her birthday December 2006. As beautiful a token of love and as precious a moment that was, the culmination of that promise had not at that time or in the past five years been made manifest. Over that time Bonnie had gotten tired of being asked the same thing over and over again.
It was easy for me, because any time I was asked about it I just deferred to Bonnie. I know, I know, it’s a bit of a cop out. But who am I to say? I’m just the groom in waiting, and the wedding day is mostly about the bride anyway, right?
So, one rather ordinary December 2011 evening, Bonnie perks up to me and says, “Let’s just do it. Let’s get married.” Being a goer, I agree instantly. She then begins the daunting task of preparing the details of where, when, how much, wedding bands, etc. And she was humming along quite nicely until she ran her BodyTalk special holiday rate and began seeing clients. Things and details began to bog down, as her focus was split between planning our destination wedding and serving her clients. To which I suggested, “If you need any help, let me know.”
Okay, guys, unless you’re really good at planning things (and I am) don’t even think about giving a sniff that you are capable of assisting in a task that means eminently more to her than it will to you. I’m pretty clear: I love Bonnie, I planned to be with her for the rest of this earthly plane life and getting married was just a formality to declare to the known world that our relationship was legal status. So, I took the reins on planning the trip, the date, the hotel and the amenities required for where we were to go.
We had settled on Maui. We looked at dates starting Boxing day and into the first part of January. We quickly learned that booking a destination wedding, let alone a destination anything at that time of year, was a) impractical because of the busy-ness of other holidayers that had booked already, and b) the extra expense, due to the aforementioned reason. We refocused on early January, and found it not only much easier to book, but almost half the cost of what a booking would be if we’d attempted to put it in place a week earlier.
After some phone calls and back and forth e-mails to our wedding planner and our travel package arrangers, we got things settled. We flew out Friday January 6, spent the next day doing final touches for our wedding day. Then the Sunday dawned bright and cheerful, as we made our way to the beach that we were to wed. It was and will remain one of the happiest moments of my life, declaring publicly my love and devotion to this special person in my life.
The last two days of our trip was spent exploring the beautiful tropical island of Maui, and we plan to visit again in the future. We flew back Wednesday January 11, a blissfully married couple.
HOME CLASSES ARE THE BOMB
For the last two years I’ve been teaching acting classes here at our house in East Vancouver. I jokingly say, “because I like the commute”, and it’s true. I like that I can be in the comfort of my house and still inspire actors to keep up the dream and move ahead with their aspirations.
Currently I just started a 12 Choices Audition class as of yesterday, and will run a couple more later in the year (April and September). And the Thursday night Work Out Group is starting to pick up momentum. I have built a regular core group, and a bit of a mailing list. As well, I get to show people the inside of the house, and our beautiful hardwood floors. It’s nice to have that kind of working energy in the house, since Bonnie also practices her BodyTalk there.
If you are interested in finding out more about the classes I offer, you can message me at classes (at) henryjmah (dot) com. Be sure to include a contact phone number.
THE STATE OF OUR INDUSTRY, THE STATE OF OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY
Since our north American economies have taken massive dips and are still in the process of going through major changes, things in our industry have been ever more challenging than before. My personal opinion is that the business side of things in the industry here will be transformed very soon. There will always be a film industry here in one form or another, but the old business models of producing film/tv projects are changing.
I have always been one to encourage aspiring actors to find ways to make their own work, and produce their own shows and scripts. We are in a remarkable time in human history. We have more ready access to quality equipment for a very low price, and we have the greatest distribution channel available to us: the internet. It’s really a matter of getting off your duff and getting on with creating product.
That said, as some of you may already know, there is legislation before the US congress right now, SOPA (aka Stop Online Pirating Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) which, if passed, will severely hamper access on the internet. Even more so now than ever before is it imperative to speak up and have your voice heard, as an artist and as a human being on the planet. If the money holders get their way they will take communication back to the 1920s, when the only mass communication was via newspaper. As we all know, that medium was easily controlled and manipulated by those in power who had ties to the publishers. Then as television came along, much of that power was transferred to that new medium. And for over 50 years “if it was seen on TV, it was legitimate”.
That power has now been freely distributed on the internet. And for the last 15 years or so, as it has grown, so has the consciousness of humanity and global society. The access is wide open for people to give their ideas and opinions. And many have made money with this new line of communication and commerce. The legislation currently before congress is a preemptive strike by the money holders to try to put the genie back in the bottle. I don’t think it will ever happen, because too many people are too intelligent and are tuned in to world and political maneuvers, and see it for the potential threat to free speech that it is.
However, just knowing about SOPA and PIPA isn’t enough. People have to take action and let it be known to the “lawmakers” that this kind of thing is unacceptable. I absolutely promise you that if this goes through in the US, it will definitely be fast tracked in Canada. We’ve already had our big communication companies try to meter our usage (which got put into moratorium, I believe), and if either or both of those two bills pass with our American neighbors down south, you can be sure that we in the Great White North will be affected too.
Eventually, I think over the coming year or two I believe one of two things is going to happen: a) we are either going to annihilate ourselves as a species, because the power and money holders want to maintain the status quo, or b) we’re going to collectively wake up, and ask ourselves, “What the f**k are we doing? Why are we doing it this way? Why am I making that person suffer over there? Isn’t there a better solution?” I’m hoping for the latter scenario.
HEAL THE WORLD ... MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE
Bonnie still regularly practices her BodyTalk at the house, and periodically runs specials. You are welcome to message me here or call us (those that have our number) to set up a session.
One of the most beautiful things about Bonnie is the healing energy that she brings to the house, and surrounds her clients with when she works on them. Many have remarked at how safe and cared for they feel when they are receiving a BodyTalk with Bonnie.
I am very grateful to have her in my life, as my partner in both love and our shared aspirations to make a difference in the world each in our respective ways. We also find that what we offer together go very well hand in hand (as do we).
Well, that’s my rant for the time being. I had a very difficult year in 2011. And reading back what I wrote last year some of it came to fruition, especially the laying of groundwork for this year. I was never more happy than when I turned the page on 2011 (except, of course, Bonnie’s and my wedding day) because it was time to start moving forward again.
I look forward to 2012 with hope and refreshed vigor. I believe in the human spirit to succeed and overcome, even if it be something within ourselves. I’ve made some affirmations I am going to carry over the coming year, and one of those things is to be kinder to myself. I deserve it. Oh yes … and to come into a large windfall of money.
HJM Do you have any feedback or comments on the current events postings above? If so, you can e-mail them to me at henry (at) henryjmah (dot) com and I would be happy to respond to them.
Actor - Comedian - Voice Over
Screenwriter - Facilitator
