I don't know what's come over me (let's check the moon phase below), but I am caught in a quirky nostalgia vortex. I've had Squeeze in my car CD player for a few weeks, punching it on and singing along like an idiot (especially "Pulling Mussels" - check that skinny tie & feathered hair!), and I just finished downloading The Rick Springfield Collection onto iTunes. I can't stop repeating "Jessie's Girl" and "Love is Alright." And I swear I haven't been huffing from the mousse can.A couple of weeks ago, the teacher who uses my room first period was showing Pretty in Pink to her class (there was a good reason, not to worry about the state of public education) and two things happened to me: First, I was compelled to ignore my prep work and watch, then I nearly started crying during the prom scene. You know, when Duckie is being all cool yet sweet, asking Andie if she really wants to go in and she says Yeah so he's all proud walking with her, then they see Blane (That's a major appliance, that's not a name! I know, I'm a complete geek) and then...*sob*...They look at each other and Duckie shakes Blane's hand and makes her talk to him and Andie's trying to be all aloof and Blane tells her he believed in her but he didn't believe in himself! And (eeeeeeeiiiee) he says I LOVE YOU...ALWAYS! And then Steff is being all asshole cool rich guy (James Spader is the ultimate bad-guy-you-can't-help-but-want-in-naughty-naughty-ways), hashing on Andie still and Blane tells him off, saying You couldn't buy her, though, that's what's killing you, isn't it? Steff? Then Duckie says the thing about ruining an incredibly romantic moment and makes Andie go after Blane and they talk and KISS! Waaahhh.
Oh, man. I had to go into my office and hide with the tissue. I couldn't bear to hear our 21st century students laughing about the hair and clothes and dancing. That was me they were laughing at, that was everything I wanted. I coveted Molly Ringwald's pouty lips and her funky style, and I was pretty sure I would marry Andrew McCarthy with his sweet innocent boy face. I already had a Duckie - the lovable goofy guy who worshipped me for no good reason or result. Watching the end of that movie got me thinking about all the other 80s movies that were touchstones for me - Sixteen Candles, St. Elmo's Fire, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, Some Kind of Wonderful, Say Anything. Everything about them colored my world; I decided on outfits, haircuts, makeup, music, boyfriends (that went well, as you can imagine) because of those movies. Which is kinda sad, really, but there it is.
I tend to get this weepy longing feeling when things get hectic; I grasp at the stuff from when life was easy (although I certainly didn't think that was the case then), uncomplicated, wide open. Not that I feel things are particularly difficult or closed for me now, it's just that there is so much more I need to think about and plan for and schedule and take care of. Life being fuller is a good thing, but sometimes it overwhelms.
So, bring on the dancing horses.
