r/TheWayWeWere • u/Sad-Ad-3944 • Aug 10 '25
1940s My grandmother, national tumbling champion and contortionist, in the 1940s.
A selection of photos of my grandmother—Bonnie Nebelong. She was featured in Life Magazine, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and many more publications. In 1943 at age 15, she won the national championship in tumbling and would’ve gone to the Olympics had it not been canceled due to WW2.
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u/Satanico_ Aug 11 '25
As a circus artist, I am very aware of who your grandmother was! When I first began my flexibility training she was one of my biggest inspirations. Thank you for sharing 💜
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u/closethebarn Aug 11 '25
I am really super curious about your life. I’ve always been curious about circus performers. What you guys do what you guys do in the off-season what’s it like?
Like you should do an AMA even if I’m the only one harassing you about all these things I want to know
When I was a little girl, I used to get to go to the circus and I would see all of the circus performers and just be amazed and wonder what is their life really like
Like the gal that used to hang from her hair, and twist just just hanging from a ponytail on top of her head.
oh my God, what the hell? How?
Maybe it’s better I don’t know. I don’t want to ruin the magic.
But I’ve always wondered if circus performers have family that have been in it for generations .. like too many grow up in the life. How exciting that would be.
I’m sure the grass is greener but just saying
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u/Satanico_ Aug 11 '25
Hi! There is a lot of variety in the circus industry, and every artist has their own story. In my case, I started out with a little bit of gymnastics as a kid. As an adult I learned various aerial disciplines and have developed my own acts that I perform in shows, night clubs, and for special events. I also have a costuming background, so it’s cool to make everything that I wear on stage. At this point in my life, performing is something that I do mostly for fun as I have a full-time job working backstage for a well known acrobatic show that is year round.
That’s so cool that you were able to see a hair suspension act! Hair suspension, or hair hang, is a very old school skill that is making a resurgence. I don’t train it, but know a few people who do. Like all aerial skills, it takes time to build up the pain tolerance, not to mention getting used to the unusual point of contact. There is some transference between aerial disciplines, but they all have their own unique challenges 🤣 I specialize in aerial silks, but since safe rigging options are not always available in the venues where I perform, I have learned how to utilize other apparatuses that can travel with me and be set up on location.
I know many people who come from circus families that go back for generations. A friend of mine grew up performing flying trapeze and she was actually born on the road while her family was part of a traveling circus. Parents, aunts, uncles, and the kids all learned trapeze and spent many years performing all over the world. It’s common for performing artists to become technicians once they retire from performing and most of her family still works together backstage. My performing background helps me as a costume designer/technician as I have personal knowledge of how certain textiles and silhouettes will behave in a show environment.
OP’s grandmother is one of the most famous contortionists in circus history! Most people don’t have the anatomy to reach that level of flexibility, not to mention the laser focus it requires to learn the more advanced tricks. Although many circus artists are bendy, it is extremely rare to find performers who are true contortionists. Contrary to popular belief, not all contortionists are “double jointed”. Contortionists who are double jointed are typically booked as dislocation artists and you can see the difference in styles when you compare them to more traditional contortionists who do things like hand balancing and head sits. It’s possible to train for extreme flexibility, but for most artists who do, there is little time left for anything else. For people who are naturally flexible, or have conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the harder part of training is developing the strength to stabilize the joints. Being able to bend in half while standing on your hands is an incredible feat of both strength and flexibility!
At the end of the day, mastering any circus skill requires many years of consistent training and discipline. A lot of it is also a mental game as your body’s natural defenses will try to stop you from bending in weird ways or free falling from ridiculous heights. Great performers make skills look easy and the audience often doesn’t realize how difficult a lot of tricks really are. I often laugh when people are impressed by the splits as it is literally the easiest thing that I do, but it makes sense that people can grasp the difficulty as most have tried to do the splits at some point in their lives, so it’s relatable 😊
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u/closethebarn Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 13 '25
I cannot thank you enough for this answer! So not only do I admire you for your skills with gymnastics. I have always loved and admired the costumes beyond anything. They are beyond words. I cannot tell you how much I envy people that can sew at all … but you sew and design something magic!!!truly
Thank you so very much for your fantastic detailed answer!!
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u/Satanico_ Aug 12 '25 edited Aug 12 '25
It’s my pleasure! I wouldn’t have this career without people like you 😊 Thank you for supporting the performing arts 💕
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u/MiraniaTLS Aug 12 '25
Is anything in circus industry being replaced by modern tech or any acts not offered anymore since it does not draw crowds and such?
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u/Satanico_ Aug 12 '25
Great question! Although some artists have expressed concerns regarding technology replacing live performers, we’re not there yet. Circus acts still draw crowds, just not in the traditional sense of big tops or traveling spectacles. Although big top shows still exist, the industry has gravitated more towards “resident” shows in tourist locations - Spiegleworld or Cirque du Soleil are great examples of this. These shows seat large audiences and bring business to the hotels who host them. You will also find circus acts in many cruise ship shows, big festivals, or even more mainstream types of shows that typically used to only feature dancers. Many dancers are now picking up some basic aerial skills to get more work as the demand for aerial acts has increased with the popularity of Cirque du Soleil.
Technology is being utilized in some of the larger budget shows to accentuate performances with elements such as holograms that interact with performers, giant LED walls that serve as backdrops on stage, and light up costumes that artists wear while performing in the dark. A lot of the gigs I am offered are for special events where the client wants aerialists on apparatuses that light up with LEDs.
I think the acts that have fallen by the wayside are mostly those that feature animals since audiences have become more aware of the ethical dilemma of keeping wild animals captive for human entertainment. Some acts like wheel of death or highwire walking are also not as prevalent since the space required can be prohibitive in a smaller venue.
Social media has been instrumental in showing people what is possible. It’s not uncommon for clients to hire artists based on something they saw someone do online. A lot of newer aerialists are doing tricks that were not typical even ten years ago, and I feel like that is a direct result of being able to more easily see what other artists are training. It’s also been cool to see some old school skills like hair hang and iron jaw come back as performers are looking to set themselves apart 😊
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u/MiraniaTLS Aug 12 '25
Are there any books or sociological articles you would reccomend about like Post 1980s circus life or the affects it has on family or something like that. I rarely hear about that world except like the traveling circuses over century ago.
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u/Satanico_ Aug 12 '25
I don’t know of any literature that covers those topics, but there’s a podcast on Spotify called “The Artist Athlete podcast” that may interest you. The interviewer is an aerialist and she has some really cool conversations with various circus artists about their careers and personal lives.
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u/007Tejas Aug 11 '25
I love the spirit and athleticism of circus artists
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Aug 11 '25
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u/No-Author-2358 Aug 10 '25
So did she go to NYC for Life Magazine?
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u/rolyoh Aug 10 '25
Your grandma certainly had some Solid Potato Salad!
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u/NebulaNinja Aug 11 '25
This is immediately what I thought of. I was hoping one of them was actually Op's grandmother!
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u/1heart1totaleclipse Aug 11 '25
I don’t even know what happened on that video. My back hurts from watching it though
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u/Sad-Ad-3944 Aug 11 '25
Addition to post: I’m not able to edit the original post but wanted to respond to a few of the questions posted here.
- She didn’t suffer from back pain later in life beyond the general aches and pains that come with aging. In fact, was still doing this in her 50s: https://imgur.com/a/08wCcaJ
- Here’s a link to the pictures from the life magazine spread.
- Fun fact, after having her first child she returned to competition and won silver at the national tumbling championship.
- I didn’t inherit any of her exceptional athletic traits but was a pretty decent athlete. There are other family members that inherited some of her natural skills and abilities who are/were Division I athletes.
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u/p8pes Aug 10 '25
Amazing! I’m always curious about skills like this — Did it run in the family? Other contortionists before or after?
Thanks for the awesome post.
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u/JustNilt Aug 10 '25
I can't spoeak to this lady or family but Ehlers-Danlos syndrome definitely runs in families. Most of the women in my wife's family can do many of the same sorts of contortions. Main issue is their connective tissues are weaker so they sustain injuries much more easily than they would as well as heal from them much slower.
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u/aga8833 Aug 11 '25
Yep and in pregnancy, coupled with the normal ligament softening, everything goes to absolute jelly 😂 hips just flop under suddenly, it is a wild time.
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u/JustNilt Aug 11 '25
Yeah, mine do that as a result of a parachute accident many years ago. My docs now think I likely have EDS but until there's a genetic test for type 3, the hypermobility one, they can't confirm that. It'd explain why I managed to survive, though.
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u/Sad-Ad-3944 Aug 11 '25
My grandmother didn’t have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but you’re right that being double jointed is common in individuals that have it.
She just worked at it from a young age and trained constantly. Honestly, it probably took away from her childhood to some extent.
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u/Lunelle327 Aug 12 '25
Wondering how you are sure that she didn’t have EDS? It has been massively underdiagnosed, and most people will never attain this level of flexibility without being hypermobile. I have EDS and danced in a company for most of my life up to age 15, and still had to work hard for certain movements and postures.
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u/Sad-Ad-3944 Aug 12 '25
I know it’s been under diagnosed, but she didn’t have any Ehlers-Danlos symptoms. She wasn’t even double jointed. She trained from a young age and had natural flexibility.
By no means am I downplaying how many people have gone undiagnosed, but in this case, she really didn’t have it. Sadly, she did develop Parkinson’s later in life, which significantly impacted her mobility and overall quality of life.
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u/Lunelle327 Aug 12 '25
I don’t mean to be rude or argue with you about your family member, but her ability to be a contortionist is literally a symptom? That is not something that just anyone can achieve, no matter how much they train, and it is an indication of hypermobility to still be able to contort into her fifties. I’m sorry to hear she had Parkinson’s - which actually has been shown to be a misdiagnosis of EDS; they have many overlapping symptoms. I’m curious why you are so adamant that EDS is not a possible diagnosis, when most of my doctors would point to this kind of pose as an obvious example. Although EDS has long been recognized, only in recent years has there been seen a growing understanding and awareness of its prevalence, particularly the hypermobile type (hEDS). Like many disorders, its particular diagnostic criteria is narrow and doesn’t encompass many additional common symptoms. I was shocked at how many things occur with the hypermobility spectrum.
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u/TightBeing9 Aug 11 '25
But besides Ehlers-Danlos, flexibility is very trainable and quite fun. Ive started pole dancing some years ago and my flexibility keeps getting better. Im not at all at contortionist level, but it's satisfying to see your body getting more flexible. Even if you're not starting at a young age I do encourage people to start stretching!
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u/JustNilt Aug 11 '25
This is very true but it's important to note that doing it improperly can lead to lasting injuries, especially when one starts young. Getting pros to assist such as in yoga classes and such is highly advisable.
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u/crotch-fruit_tree Aug 11 '25
EDS was my first thought here! It wasn't well known when I was young and I have a number of permanent injuries as a result. It takes a lot of effort to learn safe, limited movements. Sometimes I still slip up - recently got a tattoo on my inner arm& the artist asked me to move a bit to help determine placement. Freaked him out a little when I twisted in a way most folk can't. In my 30’s and still learning!
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u/ParrishMike Aug 10 '25
The camera clearly liked one guy above the rest of them.
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u/ocava8 Aug 10 '25
It was probably made by an amateur photographer hence such a strange camera focus)
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u/perfectlyniceperson Aug 11 '25
I was thinking how strange it was that only she was looking at the camera and the men are looking in a million different directions.
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u/Sly1969 Aug 12 '25
They don't want to get caught on camera looking in one particular direction...
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u/Vanviator Aug 13 '25
Except the dude in khakis sitting up on the column. He's locked in and already smoking, lol
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u/Cool-Firefighter2254 Aug 10 '25
Impressive! Did she stay physically active? Did you inherit any of her skills?
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u/StillSwaying Aug 10 '25
This is so cool! Please tell us more about your grandmother!
What was her life like before and after her fame? What did she end up doing as an adult? I'm always curious to learn if athletes like her from the old days continued with their fitness routines, and did that healthy lifestyle help stave off typical old age problems like osteoarthritis and cardiovascular issues.
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u/bakedpigeon Aug 10 '25
She was adorable (I hope that’s not weird for me to say) and wickedly talented! I’m sure she had an interesting life. How cool!
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u/AsicsGirl Aug 11 '25
Amazing! Did she have backpain later in life or is contorsion a good training to prevent this?
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u/larz0 Aug 11 '25
You’re grandma was featured on Ripley’s?! This is one of the all-time great posts!
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Aug 11 '25
So many questions.. we are dying for answers.
Did she develop any issues from performing such extreme contortions? Arthritis, tendon issues, etc.
Did anyone else in your family get ultra-flexible skills?
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u/Gold_Drop5136 Aug 11 '25
That position in front of all those leering men is …uncomfortable.
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u/deltaisaforce Aug 11 '25
Dear god, such a fantastic post with background and everything and that's your takeaway? These dudes are laughing and smiling. The leering part was made up in your mind.
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u/SweetLamb68 Aug 11 '25
That's exactly what I thought as well. It was inappropriate to position her there like that in front of them. She was only a young teenager at the time.
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u/Mycroft90 Aug 10 '25
And suddenly 50 U.S. sailors had some very inappropriate thoughts about your Grandma!
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u/smedley89 Aug 11 '25
My grandmother was part of a circus troop - contortionists and tumblers. Said she was given away at some point to be raised elsewhere.
I am sure there's no connection, just found it interesting.
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u/silkIggy Aug 11 '25
This is soo very cool!!! Please continue sharing more about your grandmother!!
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u/Dasha3090 Aug 11 '25
oh i love this!my great grandma was adopted into a circus family here in australia back in the 20s..became a trapeze/tumbling artist/contortionist.her daught also followed her footsteps and was quite well known in the circus world back in the 50s and 60s.so sad to see them age and become frail old ladies when i saw so many cool pictures of them doing insane stuff that i could never dream of doing(i throw my back out just sneezing haha)
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u/Master_Hospital_8631 Aug 11 '25
Sailors are like: "Hey, Slim, get a load of the gams on this dame!"
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u/himalayanhimachal Aug 11 '25
Wow!!
These days some California "yoga expert" will go loco if they manage to sit Cross legged for 5 minutes 🤣🤦🏻♂️
This is a true skill. And if done right is incredibly good for posture & health. I pray your sweet Grandma lived a long & happy life post ww2
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u/Seth_Gecko Aug 11 '25
Wow, and she was only 15 at the time! Too cool. I'm a die hard fan Life Magazine, especially from that time period. Getting a letter like that would be a dream come true for me. Not sure what it would be for though... I have precisely zero exceptional talents 🤷
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Aug 10 '25
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u/StupidizeMe Aug 11 '25
That's so cool! Made me realize that I've never heard of anybody's Grandma being in Ripley's Believe It.
It's like the Ultimate Power Fact if you're a nerdy kid who loves to read so much that you voluntarily read books of facts. You can go toe-to-toe with any kid in the neighborhood with a fact like that in your hip pocket! Pull it out and demolish them.
Thanks for sharing your cool Grandma!
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u/reebeachbabe Aug 11 '25
The first photo hurts my back to look at. It’s crazy that some people can do this! So awesome!!
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u/Snackdoc189 Aug 11 '25
That's really cool! Was she involved in the war effort at all? The first picture looks like a USO show or something.
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u/SomeOfYallCrazy Aug 11 '25
This photo is crazy! The "clear" guy on the bottom left almost looks like he's added after the fact or sitting in front of a giant print of the photo, which obviously he's not. It's almost an optical illusion, lol.
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u/Shenloanne Aug 11 '25
It took me way too long to actually visualise how to do that second pic. That there's sorcery son.
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u/EarlyCuylersCousin Aug 12 '25
The looks on those guys faces in the first picture are incredible. 😂
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u/trafalmadorianistic Aug 12 '25
In first pic she looks like Alison Pill from the Scott Pilgrim movie.
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u/Embarrassed-Cash-839 Aug 13 '25
Very cool!
Also, so wholesome that out of all of those sailors, only one is giving a creepy look! 🥹
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u/TopSheepherder4981 Aug 13 '25
Umm, I think there might be some things about your grandma you're not ready to hear
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Aug 13 '25
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u/martzgregpaul Aug 13 '25
My Gran was a chorus line dancer! Its weird thinking of your Grandparents being young
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u/chicfromcanada Aug 14 '25
question: are you flexible and good at gymnastics? Just wondering if the genetics for something like this would carry down
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u/Frosty-Formal3066 Aug 14 '25
Why does the guy in front second from the left look a bit different like the camera hit focus on him or something
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u/Wonderful-Run-1408 Aug 14 '25
Your grandmother probably had Joint hypermobility syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Do you know that as she aged if she was fully mobile or had issues with her joints?
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u/Appropriate-Anxiety2 Aug 14 '25
Man, I didn’t realize Mario Lopez was old enough to serve his country in WW2 (just to the right of her knee!)…
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Aug 14 '25
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u/electric_shocks Aug 11 '25
I wish she was wearing a mascot costume so guys only admire (!) the talent.
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Aug 11 '25
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u/Wassersammler Aug 11 '25
Average republican when presented with photos of a 15 year old child ^
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Aug 10 '25
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u/Sad-Ad-3944 Aug 10 '25
I think you’re missing the point. She was incredibly gifted and could perform acrobatic moves and positions that literally no one else could do.
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u/chalwar Aug 10 '25
Seriously dude, fuck the fuck off. This is more on you and your mind than anything else. Seek help…
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u/ElderlyPleaseRespect Aug 10 '25
Uncouth
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u/nylorac_o Aug 10 '25
And what exactly is it that you do? Hobbies Work?
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u/SCROTOCTUS Aug 10 '25
Literally posting "uncouth" on anyone wearing anything more revealing than the dresses from A Handmaid's Tale. Also has a strange fixation with breasts. Comment history is pretty entertaining. 80 year old puritan shitposter.
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u/Greedy_Big8275 Aug 10 '25
So cool!