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So we were chatting over lunch at our fav location in Oshkosh (Water City Grill) and talking about gawkers like us, and my dau comments that she and Johnny would be bff's. She hates chat-speak and she's a smart ass, something we nurture to the fullest, so I thought she was kidding. My response was to laugh and say 'Yeah, right. You and every other person stalking him right now.'
She (quite seriously) responded that she wasn't kidding, and further, she'd also be bff's with Einstein. At this point I just had to ask her if she was now in the habit of hanging out with old men, and in what universe might it be normal for a 16 year old girl to want to hang out with old, or dead, men. (Not that JD is old; he's not much older than me, and much younger than my husband, but when you are a teen, 30 is ancient, much less 45. And frankly, if she was in the habit of hanging out with 45 year old men, I'd be concerned.)
Anyway, we continued with this "If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why" conversation for some time. And actually, I think it entirely possible she would enjoy the company of both. She's not a typical teen. We've nurtured her non-conformity since birth, and she just doesn't think like 'normal' kids her age. She's mature beyond her years and possesses rapier wit. (Where that comes from, I have no idea. Her dad is funny, but I have zero sense of humor. I appreciate her perspective and enjoy her wry humor, but I'm not quick enough to come up with that stuff.) She abhors vacuity and is extraordinarily creative, which tends to be seen as 'odd' in the teen years. That is not to say she can't relate to many age groups, she just has a comfort zone that is much wider than the narrow peer group most kids stay in.
While other kids are getting drunk and getting laid (or at least talking about it), she prefers to write. I wish she'd let more people read what she writes, because there is such depth to her characters and she writes in such a unique style, with dialog that just draws the reader into the story. She's never said, but I wonder if she ever thought about Depp as one of her on-going characters. She told me a little about this character, and I've read small snippets laying about, but she won't let me read the whole story. I can't remember his name, but I know he's a vampire. Not a campy vampire, or even 'traditional'. He's a soulful vampire with a conscience. He craves relationships that he can't have because of who he is. Its not about sucking blood or archetypal themes of everlasting life or sexuality, though as a vampire there must be some of that. Maybe she just hasnt' shared those parts with me. What it seems to be is a story from inside the skin of someone who questions why he is who he is. When I read what little I did, I guess I pictured someone much younger than Depp, but he does have a timeless quality. In any case, it explores psychological and sociological themes that are truly fascinating (and frankly, beyond her years...again, I have to wonder where that comes from). I know, I know, she's my daughter, I think she's brilliant. But honestly, if someone would just read it (or rather, if she would LET anyone read it) it would be obvious that this is not just a mother's opinion. I'm really not one of those mothers that believes that my child is perfect (though you wouldn't guess it from these posts...I just wouldn't humiliate her by posting the bad stuff). I don't believe we do our children any favors when we shield them from reality. If her work was crap, I wouldn't tell her that exactly that way, but I might gently suggest she rethink how she spends her time.
A Depp, Burton, Wildner production would be her dream come true. For all her talk, I don't know that she'd dream that big for herself, but I could totally see that for her.
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