Patrick Swayze - My Hero
January 6th 2009 23:57
Lets face it girls, ever since the heartbreaking performance in 'Ghost' Swayze has been a favourite to us all. That lithe body, untamed hair and fired up attitude. No matter what role he's playing, the very relentlessness of his personality shines through, and arent we all so thankful that his costume designers thought to put him in snug jeans? Aaah....
I think I would have only been about 14 when I managed to catch an arabian horse documentary on TV. Arabians being my thing even then, it wasnt something I would miss. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found that the film was actually about Patrick - and his beautiful straight egyptian stallion Tammen.
Even though Ive done some extensive googling I cant find the film. But I remember it well. Patrick enters the dark barn in the near dawn light in the morning. Tammen whinnies his welcome, and with soft hands and voice Patrick greets his friend, whispering something to him as Tammen rolls his eyes and bellows - something about "you can smell those girls of yours" and the genuine love and respect in his voice is a beautiful thing. Not just that, but the comraderie, the trust, is dripping off his every word. I think I became fascinated by stallions about that time. I caught a sense of a deep and wonderful relationship existing between the two, and wondered how I could do it myself.
With gentle, caressing hands, Patrick saddles up his friend and he and some others go out for a ride. Of course I cant remember every minute of the film, but there is one part I'll never forget - the river crossing. Unlike the little dry creeks we have in Auz, this was an actual river. You see the other horses and riders crossing over at a low point, and they all get to the bank and say - "hey, wheres Patrick and Tammen?" They turn about to investigate.
Patrick and Tammen have moved down the river a bit, still on the opposite side. By the time the ride turns about they are high on an embankment, poised against the green and gold with reflections of water rippling across them. Both are looking intently at the water. Unspoken communication runs through horse and rider - an undercurrent of tension that flows through both as if they are the same being - and Tammen leaps! Patrick leans into the saddle, heels way down, hands high to keep the pressure from his beloved horses mouth as they jump like crazies off the high embankment and splash mightily into the river. Patricks laughing and clinging to the horse and I swear Tammen is smiling. He swims to the rest of the ride, who are watching slack jawed - and as Tammen pulls himself up Patrick starts whooping excitedly - "Did you see that! WOW! He just went for it, wasnt scared, WOW!" and Tammen is titupping those hooves all over and doing little jumps of joy, like he cant touch the ground. We sometimes call that 'treading hot bricks'.
At this stage of my life, I was a complete cowboy. I had taught myself to ride, my part arabian mare (Teshan) was kept on 600 acres, and we did nothing but race each other from one end of the property to the other. The feeling of people all together for the joy of riding, and Patricks stunt, made me feel a deep connection with him. I was quite a bold rider once I had my Teshans back, and that excitement - "Did you see that!" is all so much a part of riding on trails. The unexpected excitement of what you and your horse can do.
A website is entirely devoted to Patrick's obsession with arabians, straightegyptians.com
Really Long Link
This site is written by Robert Woodward, and Ive borrowed a quote that sums up arabian horses so beautifully -
I especially like how Patrick has specifically mentioned that he is a dancer, and therefore can measure an effective physique. An arabian horse is the dancer of the horse world, with their fluid muscle, symetrical limbs and beautiful deep faces. I watch my five dance all day, and the arabian makes everything he does as elegant as ballet.
Sadly, Tammen died on the 21 of April, 1999. I cant find any articles related to a tradgic colic or injury death, so Im hoping that Tammens death was the ever rare in horses - death by old age. My heart went out to Patrick when I heard - the death of a horse is always so hard, but when it is your most loved friend, its almost impossible to deal with. In particular, your stallion seems to get closer under your skin than any other. My old friend at Fairview Arabians had a life long friend in his stallion, and was heartbroken when his old age finally took him. Lucky for me, my stallion is only 3 years old, and we have already begun a magnificent relationship that others consider awe worthy.
And now 56 year old Patrick battles pancreatic cancer. It was quite a shock to hear it but of course, he mustered his courage and took the battle to the disease, vowing not to give up. I cant help but admire this man greatly, my heart warms as if we have sat together on many an evening chatting nonsensicals to the melody of many horses chewing their night time hay.
But the prompt to write this article has come, this morning, from Yahoo news, and this quote -
WHAT A MAN! Now theres a way to spit in death's eye! Cut down, sure, but quit, never! And that seems to be how he's tackling the entire issue -
And there it is right there, what I love about the man. Defiance. Strength. Inner beauty that manifests without. No wonder the man is fascinated by arabian horses! He is one!
So here is my tribute to Patrick Swayze - Dancer, Actor, Singer, Taker of hearts - Horse lover and friend to the animal world, Fighter......And most importantly, from my point of view.....Smoker.
*The pic above was taken from a geocities website to which I have linked and was originally taken by Polly Knoll. It is a famous poster. If this picture has been used outside of public domain authority please inform me and I will remove it immediately. Quotes are from straightegyptians.com and authored from that site by Robert Woodward. All other Quotes from Yahoo News*
I think I would have only been about 14 when I managed to catch an arabian horse documentary on TV. Arabians being my thing even then, it wasnt something I would miss. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found that the film was actually about Patrick - and his beautiful straight egyptian stallion Tammen.
This photo was taken from a geocities website, visit them at http://www.geocities.com/heartland/meadows/2243/tammen.html
Even though Ive done some extensive googling I cant find the film. But I remember it well. Patrick enters the dark barn in the near dawn light in the morning. Tammen whinnies his welcome, and with soft hands and voice Patrick greets his friend, whispering something to him as Tammen rolls his eyes and bellows - something about "you can smell those girls of yours" and the genuine love and respect in his voice is a beautiful thing. Not just that, but the comraderie, the trust, is dripping off his every word. I think I became fascinated by stallions about that time. I caught a sense of a deep and wonderful relationship existing between the two, and wondered how I could do it myself.
With gentle, caressing hands, Patrick saddles up his friend and he and some others go out for a ride. Of course I cant remember every minute of the film, but there is one part I'll never forget - the river crossing. Unlike the little dry creeks we have in Auz, this was an actual river. You see the other horses and riders crossing over at a low point, and they all get to the bank and say - "hey, wheres Patrick and Tammen?" They turn about to investigate.
Patrick and Tammen have moved down the river a bit, still on the opposite side. By the time the ride turns about they are high on an embankment, poised against the green and gold with reflections of water rippling across them. Both are looking intently at the water. Unspoken communication runs through horse and rider - an undercurrent of tension that flows through both as if they are the same being - and Tammen leaps! Patrick leans into the saddle, heels way down, hands high to keep the pressure from his beloved horses mouth as they jump like crazies off the high embankment and splash mightily into the river. Patricks laughing and clinging to the horse and I swear Tammen is smiling. He swims to the rest of the ride, who are watching slack jawed - and as Tammen pulls himself up Patrick starts whooping excitedly - "Did you see that! WOW! He just went for it, wasnt scared, WOW!" and Tammen is titupping those hooves all over and doing little jumps of joy, like he cant touch the ground. We sometimes call that 'treading hot bricks'.
At this stage of my life, I was a complete cowboy. I had taught myself to ride, my part arabian mare (Teshan) was kept on 600 acres, and we did nothing but race each other from one end of the property to the other. The feeling of people all together for the joy of riding, and Patricks stunt, made me feel a deep connection with him. I was quite a bold rider once I had my Teshans back, and that excitement - "Did you see that!" is all so much a part of riding on trails. The unexpected excitement of what you and your horse can do.
A website is entirely devoted to Patrick's obsession with arabians, straightegyptians.com
Really Long Link
This site is written by Robert Woodward, and Ive borrowed a quote that sums up arabian horses so beautifully -
What fascinates Patrick so about the Egyptians? "Their beauty," he says. "I like the form of the head, the proud trot, the harmonious phisique. Everything fits together and is in accord. There is a natural balance in everything. I am a dancer, and I can tell when a body is made with function in mind. A healthy Arabian is built for function! And that fascinates me."
I especially like how Patrick has specifically mentioned that he is a dancer, and therefore can measure an effective physique. An arabian horse is the dancer of the horse world, with their fluid muscle, symetrical limbs and beautiful deep faces. I watch my five dance all day, and the arabian makes everything he does as elegant as ballet.
Sadly, Tammen died on the 21 of April, 1999. I cant find any articles related to a tradgic colic or injury death, so Im hoping that Tammens death was the ever rare in horses - death by old age. My heart went out to Patrick when I heard - the death of a horse is always so hard, but when it is your most loved friend, its almost impossible to deal with. In particular, your stallion seems to get closer under your skin than any other. My old friend at Fairview Arabians had a life long friend in his stallion, and was heartbroken when his old age finally took him. Lucky for me, my stallion is only 3 years old, and we have already begun a magnificent relationship that others consider awe worthy.
And now 56 year old Patrick battles pancreatic cancer. It was quite a shock to hear it but of course, he mustered his courage and took the battle to the disease, vowing not to give up. I cant help but admire this man greatly, my heart warms as if we have sat together on many an evening chatting nonsensicals to the melody of many horses chewing their night time hay.
But the prompt to write this article has come, this morning, from Yahoo news, and this quote -
Although researchers are adamant that smoking increases the chances of somebody being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Swayze admitted he had not
given up tobacco even though it may have caused his illness.
"I am not a non-smoker. I've seriously cut down," said Swayze, a decades-long smoker.
given up tobacco even though it may have caused his illness.
"I am not a non-smoker. I've seriously cut down," said Swayze, a decades-long smoker.
WHAT A MAN! Now theres a way to spit in death's eye! Cut down, sure, but quit, never! And that seems to be how he's tackling the entire issue -
However Swayze says he greeted the diagnosis with defiance.
"I have the mean-ness and the passion to say, 'To hell with you. Watch me! You watch what I pull off,'" he told Walters.
"I have the mean-ness and the passion to say, 'To hell with you. Watch me! You watch what I pull off,'" he told Walters.
And there it is right there, what I love about the man. Defiance. Strength. Inner beauty that manifests without. No wonder the man is fascinated by arabian horses! He is one!
So here is my tribute to Patrick Swayze - Dancer, Actor, Singer, Taker of hearts - Horse lover and friend to the animal world, Fighter......And most importantly, from my point of view.....Smoker.
*The pic above was taken from a geocities website to which I have linked and was originally taken by Polly Knoll. It is a famous poster. If this picture has been used outside of public domain authority please inform me and I will remove it immediately. Quotes are from straightegyptians.com and authored from that site by Robert Woodward. All other Quotes from Yahoo News*
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Comment by moonglow
A Lot of Scrap
Paranormal Paranormal
Teacup Tales
Rubber Ball
In Zoo
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
There are so many great things about this guy its hard to know where to start!
Comment by Waysouth
Romantic Writer
Given To Gaming
Waysouth
Spanish Honduras
Mmmmmm, Patrick.
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Thanks for visiting! Yeah, he's hot in that movie, but it was 'ghost' that did it for me, that bit where he's singing 'bottles of beer on the wall' to keep whoopi up, man, he's so adorable! I loved him in 'next of kin' too.