Dad here; many dreams were unknowingly conceived that dreary, raw, day back in January when we discovered Charlie’s crate. Many of them you know about: the sidecar, the motorcycle travel, the first book, but most importantly, providing her a pulpit to spread her message, the story of the crate.
As she will be quick to remind me, she tells it much better than I do, but most of you have heard it enough times to fill in the details that I unwittingly omit; when Zach and I left her that day to go get the truck, we thought that surely she would surely take the opportunity to forsake her prison. When we did return, Charlie had also had returned, but she to her crate. It occurred to us then that we all have our own crates, a cubicle at work, an abusive spouse, a chemical addiction, even that multimillion dollar home that can keep one shackled with debt. Little did we know at the time that she would recover and, through her message, a family would be formed that literally reaches around the globe.
Another dream that was conceived during the early stages of the Facebook page was to have a place where others could contribute, whether it be stories, photos, artwork, etc. It was about this time that I ran into my old buddy and roommate Gary; I could write volumes about our shenanigans, practical jokes, and even scrapes with the law back in the day, but I’m not sure as to the details concerning the statues of limitations.
Anyway, I shared Charlie’s story with Gary, and he immediately “got it” and went to work designing what I consider to be a work of art, thecharliebravostory.com, and has been juggling the responsibilities of jobs, family, and this ministry ever since.
Well, in the background, providing invaluable assistance has been another incredible artist who also just happens to be named Gary.
Hold on just one minute…
OK, I’m back; the dogs realized I was awake, and everyone had to pile on. Have you ever tried poking at a little screen with three sloppy tongues obscuring your vision? Try it sometime.
Anyway, the other Gary has extensive experience in publishing, graphic design, etc, but most importantly, a good heart. The saga of the indomitable Bull Taco resonated with him, and he asked if we would mind if he kept Bull’s story alive. Of course, Charlie gave her approval, and on Sunday there will be another interesting development, so stay tuned.
I am the world’s worst procrastinator, and the second book has been lingering so close to completion that it’s actually ridiculous. One excuse I kept using is that I didn’t have sufficient cover art; well, Gary 2.0 fixed that. One day I opened my email to find that he had sent a stunning piece of art, absolutely perfect as not only a book cover, but also a t shirt, coffee mug, I can even see this as a signed piece of wall art; it’s that good.
So I would invite you to go over to the store and check out the new design; get yours today, and better yet, give us some feed back on what you would like to see in future projects. We’re all in this together…
We be of one blood, ye and I.
https://www.shopcharliebravo.com
