We Had the Time of Our Lives

I know millions of women are mourning the passing of Patrick Swayze and I just wanted to throw in my tribute as well.

I first became aware of Patrick when I was a pre-teen and he made "The Outsiders" based on the S.E. Hinton novel, then the short lived television series "Renegades" and then the teens against the entire Communist army film "Red Dawn" (soon to be remade but it, like "Fame" can never be surpassed.)

I fell in love with Patrick when he played Orry Main in the mini-series "North and South". You see children, way back in the Eighties the mini-series was a beloved staple of network television and as a TV obsessed teenager, I watched them all. But "North and South", based on the John Jakes novel, was one of my all time favorites. It had it all - sex, revenge, lying, overacting and overwrought dialogue, all set in the Civil War. It was brilliant and starred lots of Eighties celebrities, like Genie Francis, Jonathan Frakes (who married Genie Francis), Kirstie Alley, James read, Elizabeth Taylor, Hal Holbrook and Forrest Whittaker, just to name a few. But it was Patrick as Orry, a man driven by demons of war and the loss of the woman he loved that had me the first time I saw him in breeches.

But my innocent crush turned into full blown lust when I saw "Dirty Dancing". I still maintain that it is one of the most brilliantly cast romance films ever. I do not mean this as a slight on jennifer Grey but I think they were really smart to cast her as Baby because she was, well, plain. So many of us could relate to Baby's awkwardness because we felt less pretty than our sisters or best friends or the hot blond dancing partner. Every girl in that audience could see herself as Baby and when Patrick took a shine to our ugly duckling and helped her become the woman she was growing into, we all cheered. Plus, the sex scene, well it was the hottest thing this little girl had ever seen (at least up to that point.) A one point in the film, Baby hides Patrick's character Johnny from her father. Johnny gets mad because he thinks she is ashamed of him, afraid to admit that 'he's her man." I leaned over in the dark theater and told my friend, "If I was sleeping with Patrick Swayze, I'd put a sign on my front lawn!"

Sadly, I never got to put that sign on my lawn. Patrick was a happily married man who was married for over thirty years. That's like 210 years in Hollywood. And some of his post-"Dirty Dancing" films weren't the caliber that I know he was capable of. (Although if "Road House" is on I still try to catch the "Patrick is buck naked scene".) But he will always be my knight in shining armor, who would rescue me if anyone ever tired to stick me in a corner.

Rest in Peace, Patrick.