Charlie Sheen And The Compassion Factory

"I have tiger blood." "I have Adonis DNA." "The normal mind cannot understand me." "I am a freakin' rock star from Mars." "I always have a plan that I execute perfectly." "I am a winner among fools." These are just a few of the jewels from Charlie Sheen's twenty-four hour, television interview binge attempting to prove that he is definitely "special," but sober.

In my book, Fundamental 2 states, "No one wants you to succeed too well or fail too badly," and oddly enough, Charlie Sheen's behavior last night may have strangely fallen into both categories. My heart went out to him. Watching him exhibit behavior last night that could reflect the manic pole of the bipolar spectrum was heart wrenching for anyone who understood what they were seeing. It was the picture of a man out of control and incapable of clear thought or introspection. If you missed it, I am sure it will be re-played for the next ten years as a warning to all that this too could happen to a loved one of yours, and here is what it looks like in the late stages of its misery.

My own father was bi-polar, and my brother died smack in the middle of a cocaine fueled binge---dead before he hit the ground---so I know the pain such behavior can caused loved ones as they watch it play itself out. One interviewer asked him what he felt about those around him who were worried about his self-destructive drug and prostitute fueled binges and violent behavior. He kept saying, "They don't know me." Well, maybe not, but the behavior is boringly diagnostic of a multi-layered problem that actually is also boringly treatable. Emphasis on the word "boring" because to get treatment means he has to come down from gloriously exciting Mars and join the rest of us on this sometimes boring planet we call Earth. Last night, Charlie looked extremely disinterested in such a demotion.

I pray that I am wrong here, but I felt I was looking at the last chapter of someone's life. A needless and boringly predictable ending to another bright light on this often dully lit planet. My brother was another of those bright lights, but no amount of outreached hands could catch him because he, like Charlie, was flying too bright, too fast. My heart and prayers go out to his family for they are all in pain right now. It is one thing to watch this play out privately as I did, but it's another thing altogether to watch it blasted on national television-----your Family Crest repeatedly blown out of a t-shirt cannon into an anonymous, clamoring audience.

Charlie's father, Martin Sheen, made famous by his role as the president in the "West Wing," was asked what was the next step after years of trying to help his son fight the demons he too fought in his own life. His reply: "Learn to love, that much more."

A daunting task for all of us.