The Big Three: Be mine

The world can be a crazy place. Some times it helps to step back, close your eyes, and list out a few of the things you’re grateful for. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, February 9 – 15:

What I’m grateful for:

—Sweethearts. The National Confectioners Association says a whopping 92% of people prefer to get chocolate on Valentine’s Day. Everyone that is except for me. I prefer the Sweethearts, the small heart-shaped sugar hearts, printed with message such as “Be Mine”, “Kiss Me”, “Call Me”, “Miss You”, or “I’m Yours.” Here’s to sweet candy with a great message!

And yes, diet or no diet, I’ll be searching for half priced Sweethearts this weekend!

—Long weekends. President’s Day in the United States always falls on the third Monday of February and is meant to honor George Washington’s Birthday and all those who served as president. I knew I liked Washington!

—Brrr, dead of winter. I’ve been vocal that I’m ready for summer. We’ve had three storms over the past ten days. I’ve reached my limit on snow, ice, and yucky weather. But, colder winter air, though, does have its benefits. Numerous studies shows that cold air boosts your brain activity, improves focus and decision-making, and helps you think more clearly. I knew there was something good about cold weather!

What gave me a smile?

We’re all a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Love it or hate it, I suspect those clique names will be familiar to the last of the Boomers and the Generation Xer’s in the crowd.

The movie The Breakfast Club turns 40 this weekend. The movie was released nationwide on February 15, 1985. In the movie, five Shermer, Illinois High School students reported for an all-day detention: socially awkward Brian Johnson, jock Andrew Clark, loner Allison Reynolds, popular Claire Standish, and rebel John Bender. They gather in the school library and meet with vice principal Richard Vernon, who warns them not to talk or move from their seats and assigns them the task of writing a thousand-word essay describing “who you think you are.”

Some of the slurs and sexual harassment in the movie haven’t held up well in the years since, but I’ve always loved the message of not judging a book by its cover.

The movie ends with Brian reading their letter: “Dear Mr. Vernon. We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain . . .

ANDY: . . . and an athlete. . .

ALLISON: . . . and a basketcase. . .

CLAIRE: . . . a princess. . .

JOHN: . . . and a criminal. . .

BRIAN: Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club.”

If nothing else, Simple Minds’ song Don’t You (Forget About Me) takes me back to a different time.