March Blues and My love of VHS.

In the past two decades, I have grown to hate March. March for me isn't good. Break ups happen in March. People die in March. Winter won't end in March. Especially this year. A foot of snow outside and the bit that does melt, ends up in the drainage disaster where the driveway meets the garage. I'm thinking of a investing in a kayak to get to the car.

I self medicate quite well. Whether that medication is time out, entertainment, beverage, time alone or whatever. I try to find some thing to minimize whatever the rough spot of the day is. But this month has been hard. When the winter blues have their grip on me this hard, I see negatives in every corner. I take every statement, look, off hand comment the wrong way and to heart. Being aware that I do it helps but it doesn't make it happen any less.

Weirdly enough, I have found one thing that has helped in some measure these past few weeks. Movies on VHS. Yep. Serious.

I feel about VHS like many feel about vinyl records. There is something familiar and nostalgic and tactile about them. Having to rewind. Adjusting the damn tracking so those lines disappear. The wonderfully outdated previews and commercials that you have to either sit through or fast forward through. I grew up with movies on VHS. I love them.

So recently, I went down to Half Price Books, went down to the clearance level and stocked up. I have my family's entire VHS collection in the basement. But it's all the way down the stairs. And part of the joy is finding things I wouldn't expect.

Like an unopened copy of The Hunt for Red October!!!!!!

Which of course, I haven't even considered opening. Possibly my favorite movie of all time, and it's never been touched?!?!

I also picked up Gone in 60 Seconds, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Speed and High Fidelity. What a haul? Three of my favorite movie ever, the movie that introduced me to Sandra Bullock and one that is just pure popcorn fun with plenty of Nic Cage.

I've watched Gone four times already. Crusade twice and Speed once. High Fidelity always hits a bit close to home, so we'll wait for April on that one.

Revisiting these films, filled with memories and fun little surprises, like young Jeff Daniels in Speed, the impulse to say "Pop quiz, Hot shot". Super young and annoying Timothy Olyphant delivering lines like "Are you ok? Are you sure? Because you just went through a wall..." A future Doctor Who as the baddie in Gone, Christopher Eccleston. Alan Ruck, Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off being one of the bus passengers in Speed. All such good stuff.

Often memory lane for me is more nightmare on elm street type stuff. A place I don't let my mind go too often. But these movies, with the joy I remember from seeing them the first time. All the times I'd say to Matt Johnson in grade school, "Pop Quiz, hot shot" How I was convinced I'd marry Sandra Bullock. How Harrison Ford and Sean Connery together just seemed so right and how I imagined it was just like when I would go flea marketing with my father in Arkansas. Minus the hot blonde Nazi of course.

All those good things. Good thoughts. Maybe I'll make it through this March after all.