sixteen candles

I watched sixteen candles last night for the 20th time. I know it's a flaky eighties movie but its one of those flicks I feel safe with, like an old friend. I'm not going to get scared or grossed out or have nightmares; except for the one about my own sixteenth birthday. The other reason why I like the movie is because I identify with it. Yes, my family forgot THE most important birthday of my life. My father had died 15 months earlier and he was the one who would have remembered. My mother was in Florida for some reason and I was left with 3 older brothers to whom I was either here nor there at the time. I told my girlfriend about it as we were walking to school. Luckily she had planned ahead and a few of my friends gave me a cupcake with a candle in it at lunchtime, in the cafeteria. A little humiliating. Later that evening, my brother Don said, "Hey, why don't you do the dishes?" My mother had been gone a few days so the sink was overflowing. I gave him my best pout and said "It's my birthday." "Oh,Oh, God! he says, "That's ok. You don't have to do them. And, here's 20 bucks. (As he sheepishly snickers). I say, "Forget it!" And then he begs me, apologizing. I finally take it (all the time knowing I was going to. 20 bucks then was alot). He must have called my mom cuz she called later that night and said she had a present for me in her dresser drawer. I go look and it was one of those really pathetic transisters that only played 2 am stations if you clipped the antennae wire to the metal windowsill. It wasn't wrapped so I knew it was a save. I made light of it because, afterall, it was just one more episode in the Dysfunctional Family Circus. To this day she still doesn't remember my birthday, March 6, until it starts getting toward the end of the month cuz hers is March 30 and she doesn't let us forget that.