DM’s Musings

Cousin Charles Dropped a Hoe on his Head

Debora Masterson — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:30:12 GMT

One of the questions doctors use to determine the cause of a seizure is whether that person had a head injury in their life. It’s called post-traumatic epilepsy and has a long latency period.

If you’ve read Freedom Quest A Love Story or my other Substack publication “Our Journey through the U.S. Health Care System”, then you know that Michael (Craig Ingraham in real life) had his first grand mal seizure at the age of 67 and the doctors couldn’t determine the cause. They ruled out everything with all of the various tests. So it’s not too far-fetched to think that the head injury he had at age 15 might have been the reason.

I thought I’d share another of the stories that didn’t make it into Freedom Quest. Here’s the story Craig dictated to me about the head injury he received at the age of 15.

(Note: The names have been changed. The parts in italics are my comments)

We would visit my mom and dad’s friends, Victor and Edna. Uncle Victor and Aunt Edna, we called them. They were “kissing cousins” (very close friends). They lived in southwest Colorado, beautiful country. They lived near a great place called Mesa Verde which are native American cave dwellings which we got to walk through and sit by the firepit and hold corncobs that had been cooked and eaten 500 years ago. It was amazing. (These caves are no longer open to the public)

I think I was a sophomore in high school and playing football at the time. I was a big, strong dude. Victor and Edna had a son named Charles who was kind of a Nazi looking short-haired blond kid. I tried to be friends with him but he wouldn’t. They lived on a farm. A real farm where they milked cows. I was walking by a buckboard when I looked over to the right and I saw Charles standing on the pile of hay that was in the buckboard. As I looked, he dropped a hoe on my head and split open the skin on the front of my skull. It almost knocked me out, but I got my shit together and we went in to the house. Charles told his mom and dad it was an accident. I suppose it was the evil look in his eyes and that I was a good Catholic boy and I didn’t want to make waves, so I didn’t deny it. Fortunately, Aunt Edna was a nurse and she patched me up. But the thought did occur to me, why are people trying to kill me? First my sister, and now this jerk-off. What’s next?

Craig and his sister, both adopted, had a contentious relationship a lot of the time, but they sure made some incredible music together!

Here is Craig’s sister, Toni Ingraham singing “Heartache in the Night” composed by Craig.

Speaking of female vocalists, Dolly Parton died this week. I think everyone loved her because she was honest and so full of life. If someone asked her about the plastic surgery she had done, she would tell them the truth. I don’t believe in getting plastic surgery myself, unless it’s medically necessary, but to each their own and I loved that she was unapologetic about it. Dolly Parton was also an incredible song writer, activist, performer and care-giver to her husband during his last days. As so many people said, “One of a kind.”

Did “cousin” Charle’s bad behavior that summer day in Colorado cause Craig’s seizures? We’ll never know for sure, but it sure would nice if we could stay on our good side.

Be well and do good work. Laugh a lot and be kind to one another.

And thank you for supporting me.

Peace and love, Debora

Chasing Happiness

Debora Masterson — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:36:32 GMT

I wish we could find a way to suppress the human trait of taking everything for granted.

What do I mean by that? Well, take my move three years ago. I found a stunning apartment condo. I couldn't believe how incredibly lucky I was to find it. I was so happy! It had everything I wanted and more, but now, three years later, I don't have that same excitement each time I open the door and walk in and I get mad at myself for being spoiled and ungrateful.

What happened? The apartment is still stunning, but my perception of it has changed.

Think about the way you feel when you first fall in love and the way you feel about that person after you have lived with them for a while. It is very different.

I've thought often about this phenomenon of human nature. It colors so much of our lives.

So, I decided to take a closer look this week and discovered there is a psychological term for it called hedonic adaptation (sometimes called the hedonic treadmill), based on a 1971 theory proposed by psychologists Philip Brickman and Donald Campbell.

They found that humans tend to return to a baseline of happiness (or sadness) after a spike, such as a new car, new house, new job, winning the lottery, or getting a raise at work.

I'm not going to dive too deeply into their theory, but one key point helped me better understand this immutable trait.

HABITUATION: We focus our attention on new things, and once we understand or “know” them, we relegate them to the background of our minds so we have room to focus on other new things. It's a survival mechanism. We can't keep everything in the forefront of our attention.

There is no way to regain that excitement and happiness I felt when I first moved in. New things fade quickly into the recesses of our consciousness. If we aren't careful, we can get caught up in the constant need for new things, thinking that will bring us happiness. And in these troubled times, finding happiness, joy, and contentment seems even harder, but it doesn't come from external things.

As Michael, the protagonist in Freedom Quest: A Love Story, learned: Gratitude is a state of mind, and happiness comes from within. Ancient wisdom for the 21st century.

Gratitude is a state of mind. Ancient wisdom tells us that we can stay grateful in any situation at any time. The external environment around us should not dictate our internal state of appreciation for the miracle of life. Easier said than done, right?

Six years ago, I started meditating twenty minutes twice a day. And I must admit, most of the time now, a feeling of joy and happiness bubbles up from inside. That's where true happiness comes from—within! More often than not, when some stupid thing goes wrong, I find myself chuckling over it instead of getting upset. And I usually walk around with a genuine smile on my face that can be shared with others.

Today, I found another way to stay tuned in—cleaning house! As I dusted the large, gilded mirror that belonged to Craig's mom, I was struck by how truly beautiful it is. I took time to admire the craftsmanship and was so grateful that it is still with me, hanging right where it should be, at the entrance to my lovely home.

Peace and love,
an old hippie in Chi-town

Thanks for reading DM’s Musings! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Finding Edith Jane

Debora Masterson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:30:40 GMT

My mom and dad Paulette and Vincent holding my sister and me

In Freedom Quest: A Love Story, I shared Craig Ingraham’s life through the character Michael, including the fact that he was adopted. But the book could only hold part of that story. Before Craig died, he dictated this account of the long, often painful search we undertook to find his biologica…

More Than Just a Love Story

Debora Masterson — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:30:12 GMT

As many of you know, Freedom Quest is more than just a love story about two young kids who lose track of each other during the tumultuous times of free sex, psychedelic drugs, rock ‘n’ roll, and the Vietnam War.

It is also a story about caring for a loved one through illness and death.

When Craig (Michael in the book) experienced his first grand mal seizu…

Writing, Revising and the Wisdom of Dogs

Debora Masterson — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:23:18 GMT

Photo courtesy of Matt Melis

This week, I thought I’d share an update on my second book, Keeping Secrets.

I’ve finished the first draft and reached the point where I’m ready to show it to professionals for critique. I decided to work one-on-one with an experienced developmental editor and I’m happy to announce I’ve chosen my editor and will begin working …

I Killed a Dove

Debora Masterson — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:30:33 GMT

This week, I’m sharing one of the stories that didn’t make it into Freedom Quest, A Love Story. There were simply too many stories. It was difficult deciding which ones had to end up “on the cutting room floor” as we used to say before the digital world.

Craig, who is the character Michael in the book, dictated these stories to me before he died. We wou…

Hello out there?

Debora Masterson — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:30:35 GMT

Photo by David Levêque on Unsplash

Producrion. Yeaterday. Rov. Reciew. Wqs.

Recognize any of them? Neither do I.

Is texting becoming less accurate, or is it just me?

My dog’s name is spelled Cali, not Callie, but my phone refuses to learn that. I created a shortcut to try and correct it which only created a new problem. Now, whenever I begin typing “CA” fo…

A Smile is Free

Debora Masterson — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:30:20 GMT

More than fireworks

Debora Masterson — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 13:31:01 GMT

The 4th of July always reminds me of grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, watermelon and ice cream drumsticks.

When I was young, the holiday meant a family picnic at Sepulveda Park in a sleepy suburb of the San Fernando Valley called Panorama City where the first-ever mall made its debut in 1955. We ate and played and waited for the fireworks which had been …

A Week Ending with Profound Inspiration

Debora Masterson — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 13:50:33 GMT

The week began with frustration and ended with hope and inspiration.

Monday morning started with another visit from the washing machine repairman. It’s the second appointment since November and once again, nothing was actually broken, but apparently modern washing machines have become so efficient they barely use enough water to get the clothes wet. I fo…

I'm Outing my Dad

Debora Masterson — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:31:34 GMT

It’s a rainy day here on Chicago’s Far North Side. A perfect day for writing, but I keep getting interrupted. Interruptions that require attention away from writing this Substack post and my second book, Keeping Secrets.

Good interruptions all the same, like ordering more copies of Freedom Quest (they’re selling fast!), learning that the book will be ava…

Why Stories Must Be Told (or Shared)

Debora Masterson — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:51 GMT

I remember when I was younger, Father’s Day was just about my own father. Here he is L. to R. top: high school; engaged to my mom while in the Army; in front of our family home in Sepulveda. L. to R. bottom: Mom, Dad, my middle brother and me with my tongue hanging out; and my dad with my youngest brother.

Now that I’m older, it’s not only about him (if…

BARBECUES, CHILDHOOD, MEMORIAL DAY

Debora Masterson — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:42:22 GMT

Memorial Day in Chicago is a party with a capital P. Someone once said the beginning of summer in Chicago feels like the end of the pandemic every year. After being cooped up with cold weather all winter, Chicagoans make the best of it!

The minute I set foot outside, the delicious smell of barbecue was everywhere. There was no way to escape it! Large gro…

Join us for a post-Memorial Day screening of the documentary on Saturday May 30th, 2026 12-1:30 pm at Rogers Park Library, 6907 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL Note: below is an article repost from 2025.

Debora Masterson — Fri, 22 May 2026 13:15:52 GMT

THE QUEST CONTINUES

Debora Masterson — Thu, 21 May 2026 13:16:00 GMT

Sunday, May 17 was a special evening for several reasons.

It marked the final stop of the first leg of the Freedom Quest: A Love Story book tour, which has taken us from San Diego to Los Angeles to Chicago and finally to Evanston, Illinois.

It was also the first-ever book signing event for Guitar Works Ltd., a beloved music store in Evanston, home to Nort…

Freedom Quest

Debora Masterson — Sat, 16 May 2026 02:31:31 GMT

During my recent interview on The Jeremiah Show, Jeremiah asked me a question I knew would come sooner or later: What is freedom?

REUNIONS

Debora Masterson — Fri, 08 May 2026 22:18:20 GMT

Photo courtesy of Juli Pacheco

Three multimedia book signing events took place over the past two weeks, and all went beautifully, thanks to my team, my assistant and friend Karen and my publicist Phillip.

San Diego

I flew into San Diego on April 24, the day before the event, and Karen drove down from Los Angeles to meet me. That afternoon, we went to the v…

I Did It!

Debora Masterson — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:37:53 GMT

Tomorrow, I leave for book signing events in San Diego and Los Angeles. The events are going to be reunions. San Diego, a reunion of the original FREEDOM QUEST band members from 1973 and Los Angeles (actually Studio City), a reunion of family and friends from the San Fernando Valley.

I’ve been booked on 14 podcast interviews and have done 6 so far. Each…

When Modern Life Breaks Down

Debora Masterson — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:10:36 GMT

It all started with an email.

The pet microchip company that had implanted my dog Cali’s chip at the rescue four years ago had transitioned to a new platform. I got a cheerful message telling me everything had been securely transferred and that all I had to do was log in, reset my password, and confirm my information.

Simple, right?

Not exactly.

Every time …

ROGERS PARK

Debora Masterson — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:36:59 GMT

The Department of Recreation and Parks plants flowers every Spring at the entrance to Loyola Park, gateway to the shores of Lake Michigan.

On May 30, 2023, I left Los Angeles where I was born and raised and drove out the driveway for the last time from the house I had known since 1965. With my dog, Cali in the back seat and my nephew Adam riding shotgun,…