Farewell Johnny

Patrick Swayze passed away a few days ago and I'm really bummed about the passing of this icon. It's so important that I must take a minute of your time to tell you what Patrick Swayze meant to me. I've put it off for a couple of days but I've just got to do it! Dirty Dancing was my FAVORITE movie. I don't mean it's my favorite movie like every other girl says it is and it's my favorite now that the Swayz is gone like some people are doing. No. This movie was my world for several years. While other girls my age were singing along with Ariel in The Little Mermaid and with Jasmine in Aladdin I was dancing with my imaginary Johnny Castle in front of the mirror. On a rainy boring day, I STILL watch it! Dirty Dancing was the first movie that I remember being obsessed with and watching over and over and over. Again, during this time I should have been watching the Disney channel, but instead I was watching a PG-13 movie. Thanks mom. Ha! To her credit, she did make me hide my face during the scene that took place in Johnny's bungalow. Thankfully, at the time I had no idea the true storyline of the movie and I had no idea why Dr. Houseman had to make a 3 am call to Penny's room. I distinctly remember telling my mom while I was getting dressed to leave the house one day that, "I want to dress like Baby today." So I left the house in a tank top, cut off jean shorts, and keds with no socks. I would also practice walking/dancing down the stairs like Baby did. Remember the scene where she's practicing her dance steps as she walks down the stairs, across the bridge and they kind of speed it up to make her look a little silly while playing Wipe Out? Yep. That was my "Baby" outfit. I loved Penny and would have dressed like her, but all of her shirts were off the shoulder and I didn't own any of those when I was 4.

Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) is the reason that most girls in my generation have a little thing for bad boys. I mean, is there anything hotter than Johnny kicking over a post, breaking a car window and speeding off in the rain while Baby screams from the passenger seat, "YOU'RE WILD"!? Or how about the "ga-gum, ga-gum" scene while Hungry Eyes plays in the background. Yum. I always loved how he put the dorky little Neil in his place also. This is why we never fall for the nerds. We expect Johnny to sweep in driving his muscle car, wearing his tight pants and leather jacket and steal the show with us by his side. Oh...Johnny Castle, you ruined us all.

Now lets clear something up: I was never a big Patrick Swayze fan other than in Dirty Dancing. I probably can only tell you a few other movies that he starred in. That's because Dirty Dancing was the only one that ever mattered to me! We are now saying goodbye to Johnny aka Patrick and I feel like Baby left standing in the gravel parking lot watching him drive away after he was fired from Kellerman's (because he was falsly accused of stealing wallets). That scene always broke my heart but thankfully he comes back bigger than ever in the movie. I'm sad that Johnny, my first crush and heart throb has left us, but I'll still watch Dirty Dancing on occassion and recite every word, sing every song, and drool over Johnny. Thanks Patrick for giving us a life altering romantic masterpiece!