Thinking of You, Mom and Dad

My in-laws, bless their hearts, gave me a wonderful gift for Christmas, something I neither requested nor expected, and they probably didn't know how wonderful it was when they selected it.

It is a set of John Wayne DVDs.

Not the Best Of, not the Ultimate Collection, not even the ones for which he is most famous. No, this is a collection of old Lone Star productions from the 1930's and 40's, back when the movies were barely into sound and they were still trying to figure out how to hold the boom mikes while filming a horse running through the sagebrush.

They're cheesy, sappy, full of cliches and bad dialogue - but they have a special meaning to me because they connect me with the childhood memories of my own parents, who watched these kinds of movies growing up, who even now watch them when they come on AMC or TMC or one of the other cable stations.

And when I sit down and watch these movies, I am transported to a Special Couch which doesn't exist in the real world, a special couch where I can be with my Mom and Dad and enjoy the sights and sounds of a classic western, and see through their eyes and memories the way things were back then.

Oh, Mom and Dad aren't really there, of course; but it's like when I was in Denmark without Cheryl, having a cup of coffee for breakfast even though I don't drink coffee. It isn't the movie or the coffee that matter, really, it's the thought of experiencing something that they have experienced - a proxy - that gives me a feeling of connection, of understanding, of having a window into their souls.

And the experience is even more enhanced when my own children gather around me while watching these old movies, and I am able to explain to them that these are the movies that their grandparents watched, this is where they got their ideas of self-reliance and bravery and courage and Doing the Right Thing; and this is why Grandma always wanted to vote for John Wayne for President.

I look forward to Mom and Dad's next visit out here so we can sit and watch these movies together, and the kids can ask Grandma and Grandpa what it was like to watch them years and years ago, up on the silver screen, when movies were a dime and popcorn was a nickel and the bad guys always went to prison and the good guys always won.

Thanks for the movies!