In March of 2009, I spent a great deal of time trying to occupy my mind and the new found freedom the unemployment brings and was racking my brain trying to decide what in the hell could I do to occupy my mind, to allow for my creativity to 'flow' and... keep me from drinking at 11:00 in the morning while watching television!
It was one night in April, that I dreamed a foggy and shadowed dream about two couples- a modern day couple and a couple from the late 1700s and early 1800s- and they began to tell me their story! I could hear the men and the women as they all seemed to speak at me either very fast or over each other, across each other and to each other. I could not see their true images but I could hear their voices...
What I really thought was odd was though was where we were... we were in some sort rounded hut~ a Navajo hogan! I have never seen the inside of a hogan nor have I ever really traveled to the Navajo Reservation. The only person I ever recall and that I knew was of true Native American heritage, was Nick, whom I met shortly after I had moved to Colorado Springs. He died suddenly and tragically before I could ever really get to know him... I did not really pay any attention to the dream and had forgotten about it until...
In May, an ad came across the television announcing a network program called "I Am A Celebrity! Get Me Out Of Here!" and heard the name "Lou Diamond Phillips"! I have been in fantasy lustful relationships with several actors, including LDP, for many (thirty-something) years and had not heard about him nor seen any of his work for a while. I ventured out and googled his name. Across the top of the page came about 6 or 7 random publicity 'head shot' photographs of Lou Diamond; as a young man in "La Bamba" and another from "Young Guns" and yet another from "Stand and Deliver".
There was another one of him leaning his arm against a post shirtless (Phrrrrrr!) and one with his lovely wife, Yvonne (pangs 'o jealousy!). I was amazed as I studied those photos- I noting the subtle changes in his face and physique in each photograph and I was struck by two things: I had forgotten how good looking Lou Diamond was... and that life passes by quickly and photographs, stories and memories help to formulate a story- any story- whether it is a true story or... a fantasy story. It triggered me to look at photographs of my husband through the years- photos of him as a young man, as a teenager and then our married life and saw those changes in him, too. I then looked at photos of myself and saw my life change from the young wife I once was into... me today. I was amazed!
I went to sleep that night and as soon as I had finally settled my brain into sleep mode... I was "transported" out into the desert and found myself sitting on the edge of a rocky ridge, watching over a herd of sheep grazing in a meadow- not far from me. With a warming gentle breeze, I then heard someone from behind, approaching me.
I turned to see a small boy with coal black hair walking towards me. He was telling me his story; he came towards me with a devilish, handsome smile beaming across his face, and spoke at first like a child- his voice aging as he aged. By the time he was by my side, he was my age- a man approaching his fifties and retrospective of his life. He sat down next to me and continued- he told me his name... and his story. "Benjamin 'Teddy' Edwards, United States Marine Corp", he said. I fell in love with him instantly and admittedly... passionately.
He told me about his childhood, his wife, their children, his career, his life as a Navajo man and warrior but he kept insisting that it was not his story but rather his wife, Maurrey's story, that needed to be remembered and told and that through her story, his story and the story of "the early seeds" would also be told. Cryptic and confusing, to be sure, but I woke up the following morning and began my adventure of following a dream and seeing where it goes, how far will it take me and... I can only dream and hope... for now.
Since then, my "Teddy" has introduced me to several characters- including his wife Maurrey. She and I are dear friends and she does not mind when I "borrow" her husband for his point of view for my stories... or for other moments... like when my imagination tries to picture the feeling I will feel when I finally sit in the desert and watch a beautiful sunset. Teddy is with me and pointing out the beauty in everything around me. I guess, in a sense, I am having an affair with my lead character. Is that cheating? I'll have to ask Dr. Phil, if I ever get to meet him.
As for Lou Diamond Phillips... I began following him and his wife, Yvonne on Twitter later that month. I was something like #384 under Lou's Twitter "Followers" and I can't even remember on Yvonne's... I watched the show dilengently and even got my husband to watch with me. He seemed to be the kinda guy that one could probably sit down with, enjoy a pitcher of beer, throw some darts or shoot a game of pool and would walk away a great friend for a long time. He wound up winning that show and I have seen him in quite a few television shows and movies since then.
One day, late last year and in a silly mood... I tweeted Lou a funny little ditty that I can't even remember what it said (probably sexual in connotation, I am sure!). My email inbox the next day sent me an alert stating the following: "Lou Diamond Phillips is now following you on Twitter"! Since then he has sent personal reply tweets, commenting on something I have submitted or sharing a photograph of his family. He even took a picture with a twitter friend of mine (and mutual Lou Diamond Phillips fan!) with a personal note to me to raise money for autism AND sent us anniversary wishes and birthday wishes. I can't help but remember the scene in Mel Brook's Blazing Saddles where Madeline Kahn leans up against the door as Cleavon Little exits and she says: "What a nice guy!"
I hope to meet him one day and share with him how he helped inspire my fictional character... who knows, maybe if Maurrey's story actually makes it to press... he can produce, direct and star in the screen version! I can only dream a dream and follow where it goes...
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