Friday, August 07, 2009

John Hughes, February 18, 1950 - August 6, 2009

You'll never be 18 again, but you can watch it in technicolor.

I heard yesterday that John Hughes died.

I'm 42. I've never had a problem with my age and I still don't. But yesterday, when I heard that the director of those quintessential teen films was gone, my memories took on a more sepia-toned hue.

John Hughes wrote and/or directed many of my favorite films of the '80's: The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Weird Science. His characters were fun, and smart, and often - even in the silliest of plots - honest. I know they weren't the best. They didn't have action, or special effects, or graphic sex scenes, or anything else that makes a blockbuster nowadays. But they had heart, and they had great music, and they spoke to a generation.

I didn't realize it until now, but those silly teen flicks meant a lot to that idealistic, starry-eyed, definitively '80's girl.

It's going to be a rainy weekend. I think I'll snuggle up on the couch with my family, a big bowl of popcorn, and have a John Hughes film festival.

Best Intentions

Writing that the past few months have been a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement.

I have been online: emails, Facebook,reading other people's blogs, but just haven't felt up to the task myself. I figure it's time to start posting again.

Not to be overly mysterious, but several months back I was diagnosed with a medical condition that my family and I have had to adjust to. In time, I'm sure I'll discuss it here. Thus the reason for my lack of blog presence.

Now, I want to come back. Rhapsody will be the same mish-mash of whatever happens to be bouncing around in my brain on any given day. Sometimes serious, sometimes ludicrous. No theme. No promises. :-)