Wednesday, February 14, 2007

TO REG WITH LOVE

My husband woke me this morning with a Valentine greeting and a box of chocolates on my pillow. It was a great way to start the day. In years past he bought me big hearts with multiple layers of the chocolates that he knows I crave. It’s probably safe to call me a chocolaholic, I certainly love the stuff. This year I’m on Weight Watchers, I’m sure that caused him a moment of consternation, but he choose well. The box is big enough, but there are only ten chocolates (yes, I counted them). That’s enough to not feel deprived and more than I would (or should) eat in one sitting.

It’s funny how this couple thing works. I’m sure there were people taking bets on the day we got married, our parents and siblings leading the pack. We are opposites in many ways, but we are not polar opposites–I prefer to think of us as complimentary opposites. He forces me to look at the world in a different wonderful way.

My thoughts tend to be as far out there as a thought can go, Reggie is the straight and not so wide. He’s rarely narrow in his beliefs just typical and normal. I guess my friends are like me because I didn’t know I was strange until I met him. It makes sense, why would I choose friends to which I couldn’t relate.

The love of my life and I are so different. Here’s an example; A few years back we went to a concert for two musical groups that were popular when we were in our twenties. By the way, you haven’t partied until you’ve jammed with a bunch of fifty and sixty year olds trying to recaptured their youth. Things got hot and a bunch of old girls started jumping (as much as somebody’s grandma can jump) on stage. We were sitting in the second row from the stage and we saw a tall slim man dressed in all black stop at the foot of it. From a standing still position he jumped straight up on the stage.

“Wow,” we both said in unison. “That guy must really be. . .”
“Strong,” Reggie said.
“A vampire,” I said.

We both looked at each other. I can imagine what he was thinking, but I was fairly certain I’d just seen a real blood sucking vampire joining the Isley Brothers onstage. Who else could fly straight up five feet off the ground?

Reggie just smiled, shook his head at me and went back to grooving. I kept my eye on that vampire until he disappeared in a crowd of women that were being ushered off the stage. And I do mean disappeared.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Sweetheart.

Monday, February 12, 2007

THE BIG CHILL

I was never much of a head, not even in college when I ran with a group known for their illegal consumption. It had nothing to do with my father and brother being in law enforcement, the seeds of which led me to the department of corrections and a first professional job as a Probation Officer. No, I just happen to have DNA that didn’t mix well with drugs and not at all with alcohol. As my Weight Watchers leader is fond of saying, “sugar is my drug of choice.” But there is one time each year, even now, when I think about putting a match to it–as we used to say. It’s during the showing of THE BIG CHILL.

I absolutely love that movie and I always have. Maybe it’s because the people, the friends, in that movie would have been at the University of Michigan while I was there; or maybe it’s the sound track and the wonderful writing has to have a lot to do with it. The writing is so special that, years ago, I wrote Lawrence Kasdan to tell him how much I related to his characters. I’ve always believe in giving flowers to somebody when they can smell them. I thought it would be meaningful to him to know that me, a black woman, with very little in common with his characters, could relate. I’m pleased to report that he wrote me back and, over the years, he has been willing to read several of my screenplays. I still list him as my favorite screenwriter whenever such a confession is required.

The movie is on now. The opening montage with I Heard It Through The Grapevine playing as the friends learn of Alex’s death and Kevin Coster is cut out of the greatest movie he ever would’ve been in and I’m thinking, ‘I wonder what would it feel like now, at my age, to put a match to one?’

I bet you thought this blog was going to be about the winter storms. Ha!