Go A Mile

"Sometimes you have to go a mile to gain an inch."  Out of the mouths of babes, well, my babe, Shannon via dream Charlie Sheen.

At breakfast, on this fine Thursday, my daughter shared her memorable dream of the previous night. She found herself in one of three school buses full of students on a field trip to Government Island in the nearby Columbia River.  The driver of her bus was Charlie Sheen.  Gweneth Paltrow drove another bus.  A third was driven by a nameless and unknown "regular" person. 

Instead of taking an easy trip over the I-205 bridge, just a short distance away, they first had to go to California.  When dream daughter questioned the logic, bus driver, Charlie said with his distinct style of emphasis, "Sometimes you have to go a mile to gain an inch."

Once they finally arrive on the shores of Government Island, Shannon discovered that the beach sand was made from sugar cookie dough.  Again, curious daughter questions driver, Charlie who answers, "Try it and see."
Just before tasting the sand, Charlie changes his tune and gesturing like a wobbly windmill says, "Stop!  It could be poisonous!!"

Once his warning is delivered, he is distracted by a collection of beautiful wandering blonds plus ex-wife, Denise Richards.  He abandons his young charges and vanishes with a bus load of blonds and one ex-wife.

The abandoned children take this in stride and ask Gweneth Paltrow, "May we ride your bus?"  A happy Gweneth agrees and leaves the island with a bus load of singing children. 



This dreamer is definitely my daughter.  I've been having movie and celebrity dreams for years.   The telling of her dream was enjoyable to hear.  Charlie Sheen had helped her avoid "cookie beach poisoning".  He also imparted some sage wisdom.  "Sometimes you have to go a mile to gain a inch."
Even though he eventually abandoned the children and left with a bus load of bimbos, he'd served her well.

I feel for the real Charlie.  He's lost his ability to make good judgments, at the very least in regards to his public image.  He plays into the media's desire for a new "dancing bear."  Seeing him unravel publicly may be amusing at times.  It is also tragically sad.  We watch him disintegrate before our eyes.  He has become a caricature of himself.

With all this in the public backdrop, it's still nice to know that my daughter is becoming a woman of substance.  I am encouraged by her ability to accept what is, to adapt gracefully to the Charlies of the world and to sing along with the Gweneths.  Even more encouraging is that part of her already knows that "Sometimes you have to go a mile to gain an inch."