Traditional thinking holds that on Thanksgiving, we reflect on the past year and think about things to be thankful for. Sadly, with my brain, I don’t go there; instead, I think of one of the most ridiculous films I have ever seen, all thanks to my older brother. If you really want to try, you could argue that it’s a fitting movie for the holiday, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Love At Stake is a movie from 1987 starring Kelly Preston and Barbara Carrera. Okay, it stars many other actors, but Kelly Barbara are the only ones worth mentioning in my humble opinion. My brother introduced this movie to me, my freshman year of high school, when we lived in an old refurbished Fraternity house my mother had rented near Illinois State University. Watching it felt like I was doing something I would get in trouble for watching, and that’s probably why the memory is a fond one. That and the fact that Barbara Carrera was absolutely gorgeous.
The movie is full of inappropriate jokes, innuendos, and outright crass jokes. Anyone who knows the film will remember when the blind priest touches the old lady’s cat and what she calls it, which makes him recoil in horror. You’ll also not forget Sara Lee’s bake shop and the . . . interestingly shaped baked goods. As a kid, it was comedic gold. As an adult, it’s a ridiculously bad movie relegated to the bottom of the barrel with the likes of The Kentucky Fried Movie, and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.
So why am I sharing this on Thanksgiving instead of something from the past year that I am really thankful for? It’s not like I don’t have many things I could tell you about that I’m thankful happened this past year. There are a lot, in fact.
But that is not how my mind works, and if you are reading my blog posts to understand my writing journey, I think you should start by learning a little bit more about how my mind works. At least that way you won’t be shocked when you read my writing. Not that I’ll be going for the cheap laughs like in the movies I listed above. In fact, the stories I’m writing are supposed to be serious thrillers. Just be aware of the kind of mind that the writing is coming from, is all I’m trying to say.
That and the fact that this particular memory involves my brother, whom I miss very much. It’s been 15 years since he died this past October. I can still see his rosy red cheeks and squinted blue eyes laughing at Love At Stake and my childish reactions to it.
There are a lot of memories like this that I have, triggered throughout the year by different reasons and holidays. Today, this is the memory I wanted to share.
BRANDON KELLER.NET 