For John...

Press "Play."

"Wise men say, only fools rush in......... But I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?"

Dear readers,

This week is a special week and we all know why... Thursday, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. Let's give "thanks" and count our blessings, shall we? Let's reflect on our lives and remember why the day exists for us to celebrate. Don't forget to eat big and remember to leave something for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Watch a parade or two and watch a football game or two. Maybe sing a song that you haven't sung in ages... Give your loved ones a big hug and tell them that you're saving a spot for them at the kid's table.

In the spirit of the holiday, I want to say a few things...

I had to say "goodbye" to John Hughes on the 6th of August and it affected me on a very inspired level. If you knew of him, you know exactly where I am coming from... If you didn't, you lived in a box without windows. Or you just didn't care... And that's cool, too. Just do some research and call me in the morning.

Let me provide some background. By the way, I'm officially dedicating this post to John because he deserves some Benbrook love. Actually, he deserves so much more...

Let's take a look at what the man has produced, written and directed over the years. Not everything, but a strong sampling, if you will... You should note that these aren't Academy Award-worthy, but they won so many kinds of emotional awards in so many hearts around the globe. The genius (that was John) was behind these gems:

- Mr. Mom
- National Lampoon's Vacation and Christmas Vacation
- Sixteen Candles
- The Breakfast Club
- Weird Science
- Pretty in Pink
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off***
- Some Kind of Wonderful
- Planes, Trains & Automobiles
- She's Having a Baby
- The Great Outdoors
- Uncle Buck
- Home Alone 1, 2 & 3
- Career Opportunities
- Dutch
- Curly Sue

Do you have a favorite? I do. But it's a secret. As I typed that, I just realized that there could be a three-way tie working here... I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, I know.

If you've seen any of these films, I'm betting you've been touched by something you've seen or heard in at least 6 of them... There is a limousine full of movie stars that will always be indebted to John. He made films that sent some important messages that just might hold up today. It was another time, another place, but the stories he told were special. Maybe you laughed, maybe your smirked, maybe you blushed, maybe you cried and maybe you fell into his vision and into his keen ability to identify with real people and their real problems, hopes and dreams. John told the kinds of stories that were never to far from the truth and that meant the world to me in my adolescence. Hell, it means the world to me now.

Take your pick and think back on the dialogue, important and silly. Remember the relevance. Live it again just because it's okay to remember these kinds of things... Embrace what John was trying to do... There are so many memories that can be extracted from his films. I honestly feel like I knew the man behind these movies. Like he was an old friend or a school teacher that re-enforced right from wrong. Like a mentor who appreciated that my heart was probably more reliable than my brain. Like a leader who had my back when she didn't return my call. Like a pen pal who understood that not all tears are bad. Like a wizard who knew how to open the doors to something pretty. I followed his path and, in a way, I'm still following his path. Kind of... In my own way. Limping along, I'm right behind you, John.

** smiling sadly **

I could go on and on about my admiration for John Hughes and if you catch me over the next week or so, I would love to tell you of my plans to teach the next "What would John Hughes do?" class at the local college.

Lastly, I'd like to leave you with this... I'm happy. I'm lucky. I'm thankful. In short, my life as I know it seems insignificant on so many levels, but in many ways, it's as relevant as the next big thing. So is yours... When you strap on your boots and walk your walk, everything is possible. You can turn anything into something and that something can mean everything to at least one person. Make it count. John did...

Am I really a broken record? Perhaps, but the needle may need some work, as well.

"Like a river flows, surely to the sea. Darling, so it goes... Some things are meant to be. Take my hand, take my whole life, too. For I can't help falling in love with you."

Thank you, John, for everything. I'm forever grateful for what you have given me.

Press "Stop."

- Me (Del Griffith)

*** The museum scene in this film (arguably) changed the way I viewed music supervision in a motion picture. The Dream Academy's "Please, Please, Please..." instrumental added something to FBDO that I will never fully be able to explain to the non-dreamers, but I have shared my appreciation with many... And you know exactly who you are... It's perfect.