JohnTravolta was a big part of my teenage years...

I recently told a friend that when looking back on my life a lot of things pointed to me eventually living in New Jersey. My favorite Dodger growing up was Eric Karros (who was born and raised in New Jersey), I became big fans of comedian Jay Mohr, writer/director Kevin Smith, and The Sopranos. Bruce Springsteen is one of my favorite singer songwriters and even wrote a song that helped me decided whether or not I should move to San Diego to take a job ("I know a pretty little place in Southern California/Down San Diego way/where they play guitars all night and all day/you can hear them in the background strumming").

Anyway, I had no idea (until just prior to writing this) that another man who played an important role in my adolescent life is also from New Jersey. Mr. John Travolta. He is from Englewood, New Jersey. Why is John Travolta a big part of my life? I'll explain. Around the age of 10 my mom introduced me to a show called Welcome Back Kotter. 



I loved the theme song. The show, on second view, is not as good as I thought.

The show always ended with Mr. Kotter (Gabe Kaplan) telling his wife Julie a corny joke (this probably played a huge role in the development of my sense of humor). 



Travolta played a high school idot/Don Juan (Vinny Barbarino). This introduction to Welcome Back Kotter and Travolta all came around the same time of Travolta's career resurgence thanks to Pulp Fiction. My mom fell in love John Travolta. Loved. Her three favorite actors at the time were Morgan Freeman, John Travolta and Tom Hanks.

Anyway, flash forward to Christmas Day 1996. A day that will cement John Travolta's role in my life and the way I think about Christmas forever. Our family Christmases had always been hit and miss up until that point. But 1996 was a particularly bad one. There were not a lot of presents as I recall. Plus, on that day, and in the days leading up to it, my father had locked himself in his office and was battling his addictions. Unfortunately for him and for us he was losing this round pretty handily. 

(side: note last week my dad "plus oned" one of my blog posts on Google Plus. So Dad, if you're reading this I want you to know I am not mad at you, and you shouldn't feel bad. I love you. Promise.)

Back to the story. We had been invited to a relatives house but didn't want to go because... well... how do you explain your dad not being there? So my mom, brother and I went to the movies and watch a movie that was opening THAT day. The movie was Michael. Michael starred ... you guessed it... John Travolta. New Jersey's own. Michael even included a dance sequence. i can't hear Aretha Franklin singing Chain of Fools without thinking of that movie, my mom, my brother or John Travolta.


 Anyway, we watched Michael and followed it up with the traditional McDonald's Christmas dinner. Yes. McDonald's is open on Christmas. Why? Because families like mine exist that's why. Not a Christmas day goes by that I don't think of that movie or McDonalds.

But it wasn't until later that year, in July, that Travolta starred in a movie that included a song that will is part of the thirty most meaningful/best of my first thirty years. He starred in a film called Phenomenon alongside Kyra Sedgwick (who knew Kyra Sedgwick also played such a role in my life). My mom took my brother and I to see this movie in the theaters. Going to the movie with my mom was a big part of my teenage years. The soundtrack was headlined by a song that 13 year old Frankie became obsessed with: Change The World by Eric Clapton. I loved the very simple guitar, melody and Clapton's voice. It doesn't take much to impress a 13 year old version of myself. While i wouldn't even put this on the list of my favorite 100 songs, it's a song that means something to me. Just like listening to a Pink Floyd's The Wall, The Doors, Sade, Bob Marley or Madonna's This Used To Be My Playground reminds me of my dad. 



So for that reason Change The World makes my list. Thanks New Jersey. Thanks John Travolta.