In honor of St. Patrick’s Day’s being exactly ONE WEEK before my BIRTHDAY, a repost that’s old enough to be new to all of you. Enjoy some green today, Dear Reader.
I’ll never forget the movie “Pretty in Pink.” I saw it multiple times as a giggly fifteen year old girl. I knew Molly Ringwald’s pink prom dress was to die for; Jon Cryer’s pompadour was not as nerdy as we were led to believe; and Andrew McCarthy was a dreamy-eyed boyfriend to be desired by all teenage girls everywhere. Drooling over movie stars was quintessentially teenage.
Fast forward to a March Saturday, 2010. All my teenage dream boats were distant, distant, distant memories, long buried somewhere in my subconscious. I was a happily married, almost forty-one year old woman just a few days shy of her next birthday, and my gift was spending that birthday in New York.
I wandered into the fish shop in Chelsea Market looking for MTM, but my lustful wandering eyes were sucked into the back end of another man, a vision in black ordering sushi. He was all alone. Dreamy-eyes turned around to face me. It was Andrew McCarthy, one of my many teenage heartthrob crushes.
I started giggling uncontrollably. My palms streamed with sweat, and my demeanor became hyperactive and exaggerated. You know, like a teenage girl.
No, I didn’t bother him. Who knows what my disembodied mouth would’ve blurted out to humiliate me FOREVER??? I let him order his sushi in peace, if peace was staring at him with a stupid, starry-eyed look on my face while he waited in line for the cashier, and stalking him from behind a glass window outside the store, where I fled because I didn’t want to look like a blithering idiot. MTM suffered all of this nonsense with an understanding that affirmed – once again – I married the right person.
Andrew was older but the same, rough around the edges but unmistakably him, and he gave me an amazing birthday gift. He made me feel like a teenager again, if only for a few minutes.
32 Comments
Giggly, cwazzzzy, sweaty palms….oh yeah, that’s exactly the Queen A we know from yesteryear. You see, many of us are part of a group of timebenders that are able to pass through time to observe strange situations that may impact the fabric of the universe.
We were able to observe your encounter with Andrew and were there to step in if you had ACTUALLY tried to SPEAK with him. Fortunately for you, we did not have to intercede. The consequences of saving the fabric of the universe would not have gone well for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPS8orCo5GA&feature=player_detailpage
Yesteryear?? You mean, I’m not STILL like that, Lou??
Yes indee, you certainly are, we timebenders try to be kind.
Harhar.
I could feel your moment there, Andra. It’s actually quite a nice feeling, that awkward awestruck embarrassed feeling when you look back. Well, I think so… 😀
Happy St Patrick’s Day to you! 😀
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you, too, Tom. We had bagpipers in the neighborhood this morning. It was quite nice. Slainte!
How lovely, Andra. An unexpected surprise while waiting in line at the fishmonger’s.
Unexpected things are best sometimes, Nancy.
Ahhh, teen idols . . . Even at 60+mmmph years, my heart rate would surely ramp up were I to come face to face (or to “back end”) with some heart throb from my teen years. 🙂
Unfortunately, many are now either gone or, due to the passage of time, might no longer be recognizable, so I’m thankful yet again for all the wondrous things preserved in cyberspace: http://www.fiftiesweb.com/bandstnd.htm and: http://www.americanprofile.com/articles/ricky-nelson-trivia/ as prime examples.
You’re the second person who sent me “wonder”ing today. Thanks to you, too.
I’m “wonder”ing who that could be, Karen? Ha! A good day to step out of the box, isn’t it? Ahhhh, the “back end” of Paul Newman would have set my knees a wobbling.
And, Paul Newman……speaking of dreamy eyes………
I always liked Ricky Nelson, too, Karen. 🙂
Oh GOD I love that movie. What a cool experience! Is he seriously an editor at National Geographic? And I had no idea Molly RIngwald had a website that is like a blog!
Yes, he’s done tons of travel writing. It doesn’t look like she’s updated her site in a while, but it does cool things. Sort of like what I’d want if I had unlimited funds.
I had such a good giggle – beautifully described! Happy almost birthday to you 🙂
Thanks, Linda. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
What fun this was, Andra.
A very handsome, youthful, etc. etc. etc. local weatherman addressed our garden club last year. At sixty and then a few years, I was the youngster in the group. You should have seen my elders gushing all over this macho meteorologist, giggling the whole time. ’tis good to capture our youth again from time-to-time.
Corned beef is simmering, Irish Soda bread on the way.
And, you have springlike weather up your way today. Enjoy your celebration of all things Irish today, Penny.
I love your story. So funny. I wish I could’ve been there.
That is fantastic! I honestly would feel the same way about Madonna if I ever saw her in person. I loved her performance at the Super Bowl even though she has gotten older and many didn’t like it.
Have a great St. Patrick’s Day with MTM!
You know, people (and I’m speaking primarily to women here, because most of the derogatory comments I read were female) just need to realize that Madonna is going to be Madonna until the day she dies. She’s like Cher. They’re just going to do their thing, and they’re not going to care what anybody thinks about it, and people are going to buy it/watch it/listen to it. So, why not just celebrate women who have that attitude?? I think it’s awesome.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you, too, Michael. We have Flogging Molly blasting right now. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j4Ce5DgQwQ&feature=related
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Robert.
How fun is that! What a great memory. We were actually talking about that movie last night…all the John Hughes movies. The guys were talking about the Terminator and Star Wars movies (I wasn’t listening very well…) and then my daughter and my son’s girlfriend started talking about how they loved Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles and my ears perked up! Andrew McCarthy was “dreamy” in those movies, I agree. He is ten years younger than I, and ten years older than my daughter…so he bridges quite a span on the “attractiveness scale.” I think it was good you let him be…but I’m sure he could feel your admiring gaze, and was appreciative 🙂 My actual b-day is Tuesday…which day is yours? If my tiara didn’t have a great big 6-0 in the middle of it, I’d ship it off to you! We can celebrate together, in sprit, Andra! Debra
All of those movies are iconic, aren’t they? I hope you are enjoying your trip to Vegas. I thought about you this morning when I opened the mailbox and Saveur was in there. It profiled Vegas restaurants and food. Lotus of Siam was in there, the one place we were determined to try when we were the several months ago. If you like Thai food, go. I know you can get plenty of it in LA, but the variety of the menu at this place is mind-boggling.
Oh, swoon.
I have a simliar story of sweaty-palmed, silent adoration. The object, not so much a teen heartthrob, for me anyway, but still a crush.
Martin Sheen, while filming The Departed in Boston, passed me and smiled on Boston’s Beacon Street. He was with his lovely wife, enjoying the beautiful day—thank god I didn’t gush!
What a cool moment to just capture and replay, Cameron. Martin Sheen is not a bad crush at all.
I’m late:and now I’m unattractively envious. I saw Pretty in Pink when it came out, and have watched it manymanymany times since. I, too, was in love with that quiet hero; and I would become a blithering idiot in his presence. What a magical moment!
Kate, I am confident that you would’ve handled it better than I did. I have met you, and you are nothing but grace, even when excited.
Would.Have.Died. I loved Andrew McCarthy…forgot that til I looked at this picture. I watched PNP so much, that I could probably sew up a dup of that prom dress right now! Did you not love Annie Potts,too. Sigh…lucky you ~
I adored Annie Potts in that movie, yes. She was so awesome. I guess the Twilight movies will be this generation’s PNP……
So great for MTM that he has a writer-wife that can show the world how great he is! 🙂
He’s certainly understanding, that man. 🙂
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