One of my childhood icons died yesterday.
Patrick Swayze was in a bunch of great movies and when I say great I mean that people loved them.
There are scenes that nobody will forget from Ghost and Roadhouse and Point Break. But for me it will always be Dirty Dancing.
When I was a little boy Mommy Z’s favourite movie was Dirty Dancing. She had a copy on VHS and if I remember correctly she watched the final dance scene so often that the tape wore out. She still loves the movie. Years later I bought her the sound track to go along with other Christmas presents.
Side note: I don’t care how cheesy it is, She’s Like the Wind is my fav song on that soundtrack.
Side note II: I bought my special edition DVD copy of the movie at the Curtis Flea Market for a bargain price. It made me a happy dude. I also bought Jake his only copy of Dirty Dancing on DVD which, if you know Jake and his DVD collection is something that can’t be said often.
Mommy Z also has a best friend who has a daughter that is 2 years older than me. She loved Dirty Dancing, it was her favourite thing in the world. So much so that she made me learn all the dances from the movie. When I was 8 years old I could do an 8 year old version of everything except for the lift. We weren’t that dumb. I can’t remember them all now, but I know how to move my hips when I dance and I know that this is my space and that is your space. And the last thing anyone wants to see is spaghetti arms! All of these lessons were learned thanks to Johnny.
I also love Roadhouse. Swayze played a dude that was tough enough to rip your throat out, but smart enough to own a philosophy degree from New York University. The movie is bad-ass. So much so that I once had a Facebook status that declared I had forgotten how bad-ass it was. I remember coming home from work and flicking through the channels until I landed on AMC and didn’t change the channel again until the movie was over. It was a good night.
Ghost has the iconic scene with Demi Moore and the clay wheel and the spinning and the sensual and the sexy. The movie also made the word “Ditto” as famous as it could be.
Side note III: Only a few days ago I was having trouble standing still while I was with E-ve and she christened me Swayze because of it. It’s a moniker that I have no problem with.
It was with sad eyes that I read all kinds of Twitter updates and Facebook statuses talking of the passing of Patrick Swayze. The media had been talking about it for a long time, but I never really wanted to let myself believe it.
In the end a legend died after a 2 year battle with cancer. It’s sad because he was a man, just like anyone else. And my thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family and friends. Rest In Peace sir. Thank you for all the good nights.
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