Sad sad day

As I "knew" and loved him

When I first saw the movie Dirty Dancing I was young. It came out when I was 7, I believe, and I know I didn't see it in the theater, but probably a couple years later on video. I'm pretty sure I remember watching it in the living room of our Lorraine house.

Here is what I KNOW I remember. This was the first movie that made me feel all warm and tingly and ughm, special. And let me tell you, it's wasn't Jennifer Grey that got my blood boiling. It was her place in the arms of her leading man that I wanted! That was the beginning of my love for Patrick Swayze.

Actually, to tell the truth, that is where it began and where it stayed. Yeah, I saw Ghost, and some of his other movies after that. But Dirty Dancing has remained one of my favorite movies to this day, and certainly my favorite piece of Patrick.

When I was in high school I was still very in love with him. I even wrote Rosie O'Donnell a fan letter asking her for help meeting him. It was when she still had her show and hadn't really come out yet, and really played up how much she loved Tom Cruise. So, I wrote her a cute little letter comparing my love for Patrick to her love for Tom. I told her that I knew if anyone could understand, and could help, it would be her. I never got a response. At least I tried.

Then came university and the local video shop. They started carrying these life size cardboard stand-ups of a whole slew of different movie characters. They had Princess Leia, Darth Vader, James Dean, and a bunch of other movie hot bodies/famous faces. And then they got Johnny Castle. Lord did I freak right away. I don't think it really took very long for me to decide to buy it. I remember that it cost $25 which was A LOT of money to a college freshman or sophomore (I was one or the other). Oh but I loved him. And considering I had started kissing the thing every time we went into the video shop, they were probably happy that I bought him. :)

He lived in the living room of my apartment sophomore year. After that I took him home, and he lived in my bedroom. I think his last place of honor/display was in my bedroom at the Burr Oak house. In all three of these places he would scare people out of their minds. :) He was after all life size and seemed to just be standing in the corner! I would always say, "He's lovely to look at, but not much for words."

When I moved to China, I knew that I needed to leave him in safe hands. I doubted whether either of my parents would wait long to simply toss him once I was gone. So, the last time I saw my friend Ang, I handed him over to her, asking that she take care of him. It was a moment of trust and tears, no lie.

So, when I woke this morning to find out, on facebook no less, that he had died, it was a sad, sad day. Which is funny, because I really only loved him for the one movie, which I own, and could watch endlessly if I wanted to (and could get my hands on it, as it's packed in a box in Latvia). Anyway, obviously, there is something about the Hollywood love of your life still being alive as you moon over him in a movie made 20 years ago.

All of the press I have read and seen talked about what a great person he was, how balanced he kept his life, how he didn't let celebrity or show business distract him from the other important things in life. He was married to his wife for more than 35 years I believe. In my book, that is an achievement for ANYONE, much less a celebrity. He just seemed like good people.

So, on this day I pay tribute to my first and longest Hollywood crush- my dear Patrick Swayze. May he rest in peace.