Spring Break Has Now Begun

Although it's a little early this year, it's time for spring break. Unfortunately, the weather department wasn't notified. It's supposed to be a little on the cold side (upper 30s) and rain and even snow are possible for the next 5 days or so. We've got some pretty nasty flooding about 15 minutes north of us, so we could definitely do without the rain. Our nearby dams were pushed to the limit back in 2005, and it looks like it's happening again.

Back when I was in junior high school, I remember one particular spring break. Several of us in the neighborhood would listen to a lot of music and just hang out together. It was sunny and warm enough to not wear jackets outside. Most of the girls were a year older than me, so they were definitely much more mature than I was at the time! Our local movie theater just happened to be showing the movie "Love Story" with Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal. Unfortunately my mom had seen the television commercials for the film and told me that I was NOT allowed to go see it.

Hmmm...that presented a challenge for me. The girls in the neighborhood decided one late afternoon that they would go see the movie that evening, at the early showing. We all tried to figure out a way that I could go with them. As luck would have it, my mom needed to go somewhere that evening and my dad was home with my younger brother. I was at one of the girl's homes and called dad to ask him if I could go to a movie with the girls. (Of course dad was completely unaware of the fact that mom had said I wasn't allowed to see this movie!)

Dad said that would be fine, and asked how we would get there. One of the girls in the group had an older sister who was going to take us because she wanted to see the movie too. All I had to do was stop at home and get some money from dear old dad.

Now to be perfectly honest, on the way to the theater I felt just a little twinge of guilt at the fast one I had just pulled. But not enough guilt to change my mind. I mean afterall, I was about to head on over to "the wild side" and see a my first adult-themed movie.

As I recall there were about 5 or 6 of us there, and by the time the movie was over, we were all in tears. It wasn't just tears flowing down our cheeks, but actual sobbing. We left the theater in silence and when we got out to the car, we all looked at each other and then burst out laughing at seeing each other crying so hard.

Now you would think that such a life changing event for me would be such a big deal that I would remember everyone who was there, but the truth of the matter is, I can only recall three others for sure, but have a strong feeling about at least one more, and I think there was another one, but can't come up with who it would be.

To this day when I see that "Love Story" is on television, I usually watch it, or at least part of it. And it still brings me to tears.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry" really sticks with me, along with the fact that the character of Jennifer called her dad by his first name, "Phil." And then there was the opening line: "What can you say about a twenty-five year old girl who died? That she was beautiful and brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. The Beatles. And me."

I'm tearing up, just thinking about it.