When I was a film director

I do think that you can be whatever you want in your mind. Reality may be different. But yes, in my mind I was once a film director, and it lasted just a few minutes while visiting Old Tucson in Arizona.

If I mention “The High Chaparral”, does it sound familiar? I will assume for the young audience of my blog it may mean just nothing. But, for the “more experienced” audience, this may ring the bell. Mostly for those who are more or less my age! The High Chaparral was a TV show which was shown by 1967, it had four seasons, (yes, four!! Very long for those years, right?) and they were 98 episodes.

I watched them all. I loved it! Being a girl at that time, I loved watching the stories and many times wondered where they were filmed. Saw the actors sweating a lot by the hot weather in the mountains where I could also see some tall cactus I had never ever imagined they exist. Well, 50 years later, I had the opportunity to visit the studio where the High Chaparral was filmed and also sweat a lot in the Arizona weather.

The studio is called Old Tucson and it’s about 2 hours’ drive from Phoenix. The nearer you get there, the more back in time you feel you are living. As you are probably wearing tennis shoes, a t-shirt and jeans, you feel you are not dressed appropriately for the tiny town in the middle of the Sonora Desert.

Many films and shows were filmed here like: Rio Brave, El Dorado, Three Amigos, Bonanza, The Mark of Zorro, and Tombstone.

Me, checking everything was ready for the film I was directing….

Important place visited by most of the people arriving at Old Tucson. As you can see in the picture, you could also wash your clothes and hung them!

There was also a small train which took you all around the place, therefore you had to be careful at the railway crossing and even stop on the red signal. In the picture, my cousin Gerard being obedient and looking both sides before crossing.

These are the clothes Clint Eastwood used for one of his films. I’m pretty sure the had to visit the “bath house” after each filming session!! How could he wear that in the dessert??

Last, but not least, my picture with Geronimo, military leader and medicine man from the Apache people.

Each of us has a story to tell, unique and worthy of being remembered. Like the films that captured moments in Old Tucson, our lives are filled with struggles, triumphs, and everything in between. The beauty of our story isn’t just in the milestones we achieve but in the journey itself—how we choose to navigate the chapters of our lives.

So, as you write your own story, take pride in its ups and downs, its victories and lessons. Cherish the moments, embrace the imperfections, and remember that every experience shapes the history you’ll leave behind. Just as Old Tucson immortalized the stories of the past, your life is a legacy in the making.

Go forward boldly, with hope and curiosity. The ending is yet to be written—and it’s yours to create.