Rest in peace, Johnny Castle. (a.k.a Patrick Swayze)

Y'all. My early teen years were formed directly around the events happening at Kellerman's.

From the time of it's release in the summer of 1987 until I realized that I was never going to be a real dancer with Patrick Swayze (which may or may not have been realized much later in my life), I watched Dirty Dancing dozens of times.

And I played the soundtrack repeatedly in my Nissan, 4 door, stick shift, hoping to make it at least "sound" cool, since it didn't "look" too cool.

I still get weak in the knees if I hear one of these 3 top songs from my youth:

• I've Had The Time of My Life
• Hungry Eyes
• She's Like the Wind

I remember that summer, and subsequent ones watching it on videotape, honestly thinking that my life could turn out just like Jennifer Grey's.

• Patrick Swayze himself, or at the very least some good looking guy who could dance well, would scoop me off my feet from the dance floor, and firmly announce, "No one puts Baby in the corner".

And I would dress in my finest pale pink chiffon short dress, which would flow in the wind as I ran down the makeshift aisle to leap into the arms of my dancing dreamboat.

Man, oh, man....those were the days. I was 14. I felt pretty sure I knew exactly what my future plans held.....and they had been set in stone thanks to two box office hits in the summer of 1986 and 1987.

I was certain I had narrowed down my life choices to these two scenarios:

• A.) offering dance lessons by day at a posh resort, and doing the steamy salsa by night with my partner, Patrick Swayze

or

• B.) "cruising" around Fightertown USA, waiting for my boyfriend Pete "Maverick" Mitchell to pick me up on his motorcycle, while wearing his flight jacket and a white T-shirt, after a hard day as a TOP GUN pilot.

Even at 14, a girl had to have goals.

I'll leave you with the mention of two other songs that can still make my heart skip a beat and take me right back to summer nights in the late 80's...

• You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling
• Take My Breath Away

So....what songs do you love from your favorite movies during your teen years???? Did you swoon over any male actors on the big screen???

Please don't tell me I'm the only one who thought dancing a special with Johnny at the Shelldrake would be fun??? Or watching Maverick play volleyball with Goose. Shirtless.

What? You were never 14 once....and had a slight crush on Tom Cruise? Before he went all scientology on us? I bet he still looks good playing volleyball, shirtless.