The year is 1994.

New to the small town of Grand Ledge, I'm enrolled in the after school program, where I'm thrown into friendships in my new hometown. I get picked up one afternoon and I remember vividly my mom saying "you won't believe who died today" in a voice making me think it's someone close. 

It was John Candy. 

She'd probably heard it over the radio. Not like today, finding out from the disingenuous Twitter or Facebook headline, the radio has a more distinct tone when they tell you someone you loved and admired and looked up to is no longer around. You hear it from a person, they break the news directly to you, not to the internet. 

Maybe that's why he felt like family. Because his movies were like family to my family, and so there's a different feeling when this person is gone. 

28 years later we're still revisiting his movies beyond Uncle Buck and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; yes, we're watching Home Alone just to see him say "Polka King of the Midwest? Polka polka polka? No?". Or maybe it's "Sorry folks, park's closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya". 

Anyway, I really miss John Candy a lot. 

Printed in faded black on a vintage-wash olive heather cotton/poly tee. 

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