On a late Thursday night at home here in my bed on the South Shore of Staten Island, I’m in deep thought about lots of stuff.
It’s been a quiet Thanksgiving for our family. Just me, Justin and our caring and loving Dad. I spoke to my Mom about her turkey with her husband. She sent me pictures via text. It looked great. She’s always been a great cook. When I was younger, I used to tell her she could open a restaurant. The things we say to our parents, paying them the ultimate compliment.
While I could never do it without either Mom or Dad even if they’re no longer together, I admire the unique qualities they have. They’re caring, considerate, loving, unselfish and passionate. Always there to support me and my brother no matter what. For that, I’m most grateful. 🙏
During this special time of year, we are thankful for family and friends. I consider our close friends extended family members, or our Inner Circle. Not just a cool group created by All Elite Wrestling star Chris Jericho. It certainly applies to our lives. Without the love and support for one another, it wouldn’t be the same. To quote the late great Heavy D, “I got nothing but love for you.”
If family, friends and your inner circle are what this holiday stands for, then we are putting things in proper perspective. However, I’m always reminded every Thanksgiving of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. A John Hughes classic prominently featuring the legendary John Candy and great Steve Martin.
Picture two completely different people trying to get home to their families in time for Thanksgiving. There’s the more serious Neal Page played by Martin, who’s in New York City for an insurance convention. He wants nothing more than to make it back to Chicago to see his wife, lovely children and family.
Then, you have the very quirky and personable Del Griffith, expertly played by Candy. A man of the people who sells anything from shower curtain rings to even hustling other cool materials like earrings to a younger crowd when things get dicey.
Somehow, they run into each other when Griffith accidentally steals Page’s cab which he paid for. He unknowingly didn’t see him and this infuriates Page, who settles for another taxi on the way to the airport.
As fate would have it, they wind up meeting up at the airport and on the same flight which has to land in Missouri due to a snowstorm. Now, they’re stuck in another place hoping to track down a way to get to Chicago. Only Del learns there are no connecting flights available. How is Neal going to get home in time to see his family?
First, they travel by bus and poor Neal gets busted for watching a young couple make out when it was Del who told him to check that out. Busted. Hilarious. Then, they travel by train and Neal feels at ease thinking he’ll finally arrive home. At this point, he splits up with Del, who’s been getting on his nerves. Yet it’s Griffith who’s doing everything he can to help Page get home. He knows people and even gets them a room at a motel thanks to knowing the manager.
When the train somehow breaks down as only it could, Neal and Del are reunited with Page helping carry Griffith’s luggage across a field. They eventually wind up getting a ride in a pickup truck and must brave the elements freezing outside. It’s a funny scene.
There are too many parts of this Turkey Day classic to get into. From them being robbed in a motel to Neal absolutely losing it when a bus dropped him off without a rental car and he throws his agreement away and slips down a snow bank and has to walk back and wait in line while the smiling female rental agent is laughing it up on the phone about her Thanksgiving plans. He lights into her and goes too far cursing up a storm. It’s hilarious.
Eventually, it’s Griffith who rescues his punched out friend he nearly hit due to Page’s sarcastic mouth getting him into trouble. He got a car and they share the driving duties. But Del goes a little overboard trying to adjust his seat due to his coat being stuck. He completely loses control of the vehicle and it does a 360 when he hits the brakes.
This awakens Neal, who asks if everything is okay. To which Del makes up a deer story and says he’s fine. Little do they know what’s next. I won’t spoil it. Let’s just say one of the funniest movie scenes leaves you in crying laughter. It’s so hysterical. After the car becomes unsafe for travel despite Del’s best wishes where I have no idea how Candy kept a straight face (how many takes) explaining it to a cop who caught him speeding 78 MPH.
Somehow, thanks to Del, who finds a free ride in the back of a truck home, they wind up in Chicago by the train station. Despite the arguments they had earlier, Del has gotten Neal to his destination. After having been through so much, he’s very thankful and tells Del he’s a little wiser on Thanksgiving Day as they say goodbye and Neal gets his train.
It’s only after Neal Page is comfortably riding home that he starts to replay some of the crazy things that happened. That includes some of the funny moments and more serious ones. It’s the last one that sticks with him the most and he realizes then that Del Griffith hasn’t told him everything, leaving out a very important detail about his wife and situation.
It sets up this final ending to a just very emotional movie that combines comedy, ruthlessness, seriousness and even sadness to make it the perfect holiday treat.
That scene is what I define as the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Steve Martin’s character Neal Page does something remarkable for John Candy’s Del Griffith character, out of the sheer kindness of his heart. Life lesson learned.
It’s that kind of ❤ that Planes, Trains and Automobiles has that makes it so special.
The lesson here is this. It’s not about the food. It’s about the people you share your good times with. It’s about having a good heart. Giving is everything in life. Don’t forget it.
Give me a sign Or give me a look Let’s sip some wine Or read a book Free our minds from madness Don’t let them win Their foolish stubbornness causing sadness Close minded souls who commit sin Killjoys during this hard time That can turn smiles to frowns We need to hold the line And push out these clowns Let’s show them by stating our case It’s time to reopen for good We’ll dust them in the wind without a trace And take back the neighborhood
Obviously, this was taken around Halloween when I had my old black Honda Accord. It’s now a nicer white. This is our neighborhood. It’s quiet.
Some days are harder than others and vice versa. Maybe it’s the fact Governor Cuomo already extended until May 15 unless you’re an essential worker. I find myself frustrated.
I guess it’s normal to have such a reaction. Sure. I can still go for rides and walk in isolated areas like my old high school. Of course, I’ll do that. But right now, my mood is somber like the cloudy cool weather in mid-April. It’s not even 50 degrees here in Shaolin, NYC. I can feel rain coming. Probably at some point tonight.
I think our minds play tricks on us. Especially when you don’t have much going on. I long for the days of hanging out with our friends. I want a job and to get out of debt. I’m much more motivated since this whole COVID-19 chaos. I miss the gym. I don’t think I’ll ever not go again whenever it reopens. I miss things.
The truth is none of us know when it’ll return to normal. So, that’s why I’m a bit moody. It showed in my texts to Mom, who can’t understand it. She doesn’t know what it’s like to have depression. I do. So does our Dad. I’m more like him that way. Especially with the bleeping anxiety. Though I haven’t taken my pill yet. I guess I’m fine for now.
Writing is how I cope. I get to express my feelings in this personal space. Life can be challenging and beautiful all at once. The beauty is nature as I notice the leaves on the trees sprouting and flowers blooming. That’s how I know it’s Spring. The challenge is sitting here and wondering how long it’ll be before we return to normal daily routines. That is where you begin questioning the leadership.
Who’s right and who’s wrong? It’s April 16 and they mandated protective masks when you’re in public. Don’t comply and you can be fined. I get it. I bring my mask with me just in case. If I go in a store, I wear it. But when I get back to the car, I can take it off because it’s just me. I didn’t wear it to walk four days ago at Staten Island Tech. I didn’t have to. It was quiet. Maybe I’ll go once a week to do it. Who knows. I love that area. It’s peaceful and nice compared to the South Shore.
The funny aspect is when I was growing up, this was a great area to live. It wasn’t overcrowded and you had more space. Now, they built houses and garbage everywhere. It’s so crammed, they stuck needless traffic lights in places they don’t belong. That’s what it’s like to live in NYC. Kill taxpayers. Then they wonder why they never have enough emergency funds for natural disasters such as Hurricanes or epidemics like this crazy scenario that has people living in fear.
Just how CNN and MSNBC want it. They don’t care how many people die or how many are sick. As long as there’s more negativity to spread that goes against President Trump, they’re happy. Ratings are up. Don’t worry. I’ll never give those news channels the time of day. I don’t watch any due to the bias. I’m an Independent. So, yeah. The likelihood of me voting this November is about as slim as my chances with an Instagram model or beautiful European I follow. They make them better overseas. They’re not as fake as what we have here.
The true colors show during this time. You know what I’m referring to. Misinformed idiots like ________ (insert celebrity) give ridiculous opinions as if they could run the country any better. They don’t even know what it’s like to live as a lower to middle class family. They live in luxury and are too busy taking selfies and making asinine videos that have no basis.
Hollywood is an embarrassment. The less said, the better. Not every famous person is a snob. There are some good ones out there who know their role. The Rock comes to mind. Shannen Doherty does too. God bless her in her fight against Stage Four cancer. She’s always been one of my favorites. Hard to believe Luke Perry has been gone over a year now. It makes me sad. I loved Beverly Hills 90210. Brenda and Dylan forever.
It seems like we are saying goodbye to too many people. Whether it’s directly or indirectly, it’s a losing battle. My parents knew their friend’s husband since the 1970’s. He succumbed to the Coronavirus. He had turned 70 and did have heart issues. He was on a ventilator for almost three weeks fighting until there was nothing left.
It sucks. I read about that New York Post photographer who lost his battle to this deadly virus at age 48. From reading all the passionate tributes courtesy of Mike Vaccaro, Zach Braziller and Ken Davidoff, Anthony Causi sounded like the kind of genuine family person who loved not only his job taking some of the best photos, but people as well. He left behind his wife and two kids. It’s so hard to read such a melancholy story. Kind of numbing.
This pandemic threatens to keep many people inside and limit what we do. It hurts our economy and forces businesses to close. You cannot find one Japanese restaurant at least on this side open. On the entire island, you have one Japanese place and one Chinese for pickup or delivery. That’s all. How many places will never recover from this ordeal? I’d rather not think about it.
The only motivation it seems I have these days comes in my blogging. I have a passion for it. So, I put down my thoughts and leave them out there. Music will play again on my CD player. I got some live Nine Inch Nails, Avenged Sevenfold, The Fray, Disturbed and our friend’s death metal band A Legacy Unwritten. It’s every bit as loud as you’d think.
Maybe I’ll change it up later. For now, I’ll leave you with a cool live video.
HITTING BACK 