A Man and His Dream ...

A Man and His Dream...

The reality of people under communism is erupting in an explosion of change and hope. As the countries of the Eastern Bloc experience the first fragile light of freedom, it is appropriate to reflect on the true roots of this historic liberation.

In the beginning there was only a man and his dream ... and a small inheritance from Czar Nicholas II. The man with that dream was me, Ed Spivey Jr., and ... Wait a minute. I used that already ...

Never mind.

Coming This Fall ...

On my family's annual summer trip to visit relatives in Texas, we were driving through Ohio, enjoying the incredible mountain-peaked vistas, when the adults in the car were distracted by the two children in the back seat. "Quick! Get in the lifeboats! The ship is sinking!" said one sister. "But wait! I can't leave my clothes!" said the other sister. Intrigued, I asked my daughters what game they were playing.

"Barbie's on the Titanic," came the reply.

It was the funniest thing I'd heard all year.

Now, a comedic invention of this magnitude is not expected from children idly passing the time in a car. In Hollywood, millions of dollars are spent every year producing films with plots not half this good.

Stunned by the originality of this concept, I realized that their little idea was worthy of full development, and since I still don't have any copy for November layouts, I have the time. Therefore, we present the upcoming made-for-TV movie:

"Tragedy At Sea: Has Anyone Seen My Cosmetics Case?"

It had been a busy afternoon for Barbie. As senior aerobics instructor for the largest ship in the world, she had already led three hour-long classes of her popular workouts. Ignoring the groans and whimpers of her reluctant students, Barbie took each class through her favorite cardiovascular dance routines, leading them in an impressive array of physical manipulation in spite of the fact that her own arms and legs do not bend.

Wiping a towel behind her attractive (yet disproportionately long) neck, she is lounging by the pool-side bar when a stranger puts a drink in her hand. Bearing a peculiar physical resemblance to Barbie, the deeply tanned, square-jawed man smiles at her and offers his hand in friendship.

"My name's Ken, and where have you been all my life?"

Barbie has heard this line many times before, but her short memory has forgotten them all, thus she is impressed by his wit. She giggles, eagerly flashes her famous Barbie smile and replies, "Hi! Are you a professor or something?"

They sit together at a nearby table and spend the next three hours talking, smiling at each other, and trying to cross their legs comfortably. It seems they have much in common, including a passion for expensive plastic cars and cozy residences that fold into little suitcases.

Finally, Barbie excuses herself and returns to her cabin to dress for the evening's usual elegant dinner at the captain's table. Choosing a full-length taffeta evening gown with a single large snap in the back, Barbie, with some difficulty, squeezes into her dress and matching shoes, grabs a handful of coordinated accessories, and heads for the upper deck.

As expected, the night is awhirl with fun, and Barbie barely has time to change clothes twice before dessert is served. The captain's guests are quick with their delightful stories, and Barbie's smiling head keeps rotating from side to side to catch each anecdote. So hard is she trying to laugh at the appropriate times that she, like the others at her table, does not notice a sudden, muffled grinding sound coming from below.

As news of the emergency begins to sweep through the ship, Barbie joins other passengers as they hurriedly return to their cabins. The ship tilts beneath her feet, but Barbie barely notices as she begins to grapple with the most difficult decision of her young life: what to pack and what to leave behind.

Trying desperately but failing to remember the colors of lifeboat interiors, Barbie changes into an outfit that she hopes will be appropriate. She chooses a beige pantsuit with dark shoes and matching scarf, and vows to sit beside other passengers dressed in earthtones.

A half hour goes by. Barbie smiles wanly at her success at packing only what she needs for the lifeboat, and then calls for a porter to help her with three garment bags, two cosmetic cases, and an over-the-shoulder carry-on. As she leaves her room, she pauses to look back on the belongings she must abandon, then turns and quickly walks out.

The decks are crowded with people lining up for the lifeboats, and as Barbie moves forward a commotion breaks out to her right. Uniformed sailors are roughly dragging a woman from one of the boats. As Barbie looks closer a sailor pulls the scarf from around the woman's head, revealing a smiling and well-tanned young man.

"Ken!" Barbie shouts, adding, "My dress!" as it is removed roughly from Ken's powerful frame.

Angered by the attempted ruse, several passengers lunge at Ken but are pushed back by sailors intent on returning him to his place among those who must stay behind.

This is a pivotal moment in Ken's life. But despite the gravity of what lies ahead, Ken's steady, optimistic smile is unchanged as he is led away.

As her lifeboat is lowered to the chilly waters of the North Atlantic, Barbie realizes that this tragedy will forever change her. She will turn away from material things, she vows. But as she begins to think of ways to devote herself to charity, her thoughts are lost to an overpowering desire to change outfits again.

Ed Spivey Jr. is art director of Sojourners.