How can you describe the phenomenon of a teenage girl falling so deeply in love with a boy solely from watching him on-screen, reading about him in fan magazines, and starring dreamily at foldout paper posters of him tacked affectionately on her bedroom wall?  Teen heartthrobs.

The infamous December 7^th, became even more historically important than it already was when Tiger Beat revealed to me, in one of the many 1982 issues, that C. Thomas Howell was born on that date.  It instantly became more significant than the July 4^th or Halloween…it was a certifiable holiday that needed to be celebrated throughout all eternity.  Though C. Thomas Howell was not my first celebrity crush (that honor lovingly goes to Dirk Benedict/Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica), he was my teen idol crush – and that, my friend, is in a league all its own.

It started for me as I sat in the dark movie theater watching “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”  Suddenly, up on the screen, the character of Tyler appeared.  He was the cutest boy I had ever seen.  Try asking anyone who was the actor that played Tyler in E.T. and I guarantee 99% of the time they won’t even know there was a character named Tyler, or they will ask if that was the older brother’s name.  For clarity, and because I have had to describe this too many times to count, Tyler was the older brother’s friend that pulled off his ski-mask and yelled, “we made it,” right before E.T. helped magically lift the gang of bike boys into the air – the grand escape, just in the nick of time.

I really did have to explain who he was over and over again – probably because I must have brought him up in conversation at least a couple of times each day.  In fact, because of my excessive use of C. Thomas Howell knowledge in daily dialogue and the affectionate teasing for doing so, my Uncle Mike had a shirt made for me with iron-on letters that read, “Who is Tom Howell?”  (in the credits of E.T. he was listed as Tom, not C. Thomas)  I have no doubt that I still have that shirt tucked thoughtfully in a box somewhere at home.

Everything had to do with C. Tom and I knew every fact.  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?  Well, Tommy has always wanted to travel to Asia, so obviously…  Any good music at the record store lately?  Well, Tommy has been listening to The Fixx and Oingo Boingo on the set, so…

I needed to know everything and there was nothing like scouring the racks of magazines to find a new copy of one of the gospels…Tiger Beat, 16, Bop, Teen Beat, Super Teen…which one had the most photos of C. Thomas Howell?  How many could I afford to purchase?  Should I get the one with the two-page poster or the one with the Q&A?  Oh, the taxing tribulations of a teen.

To this day, I can remember the list of “favorites” that I had ingrained in my memory, just in case those tidbits were needed in a moment’s notice.  Way more important than any news story or schoolbook text.  I even bought a USC Trojans crop t-shirt (maroon w/ gold-yellow writing) because he had the same one.  I dislike maroon, I hate gold-yellow and no one should ever wear crop tops.  Sigh.  What you won’t do for love.

Every movie or television show that C. Thomas Howell was in, I had to see.  The fact that he would occasionally pop up in episodes of my favorite show of all time, “Moonlighting,” because his dad was their stunt coordinator, was certainly a bonus; but, I’d watch them all.  Good or bad – didn’t matter.

Of course, the thrill of “The Outsiders” being released was unprecedented in teen idol world.  It was the ultimate 80s teen idol movie:   Swayze, Cruise, Lowe, Estevez, Dillon, Macchio and Howell.  It didn’t matter which one was your favorite, there was something for every girl I knew.  It remains as a one of a kind film, for the casting alone.

But, from 1982-1986, I wasn’t interested in any of the others…only Tommy; no one else stood a chance.  Ask my best friends from senior year in high school – I made them all head out to Cassinelli Square theater no less than two hours before showtime on February 21^st, 1986; opening night of “The Hitcher,” as I was certain the film would sell out.  (sorry friends)

Part of the reason that my enthrallment never dulled was because I was fortunate to have a mother that embraced my fanatical obsession.  Months before my bedroom wallpaper was redone, I was permitted to draw permanent marker hearts all over the walls that read, “I love C. Thomas Howell.”  Even after the room was re-done, the door to my room and my four closet doors were filled with cutout after cutout of Tom Howell photos from the teen magazines.  Fold out posters, full page shots, even black and white photos that were barely large enough for a piece of rolled scotch tape on the back.*  If the photo was of Tommy, it had to be part of the shrine.  And, my mom actually started the tradition of giving me a present on December 7^th, to join in on his birthday celebration (the first was a grey boucle-like sweater from The Gap) and even a birthday cake!  I had to continue the custom once I moved out of the house.  In fact, in our college apartment, we had a life-size C. Thomas Howell “Soul Man” standee stuck in a boarded up door for all our guests to see.  I have photos holding up a birthday cake in front of the standee taken on December 7^th.

The first time I met C. Thomas Howell was only a week after December 7^th in the year 1989.  He came into a restaurant where I was working.  I wished him a happy belated birthday.  No idea what he must have thought of me, as he clearly didn’t have a clue who I might be.  I didn’t care.  I took the 50 dollar bill that he used to pay his check (my manager kept it separate from the stash and I swapped him out after going to the ATM), put my own money with it and bought a ring to commemorate the event.  Yes, I still have that too.

When they filmed “Side Out” at Zuma Beach, I drove all the way down (and back) to San Diego to pick-up my C. Thomas Howell partner-in-crime, Kristen, so that we could be background extras for the film and watch him play beach volleyball all day.  We even got a crew member to bring him over at lunch time to take a photo with us.  And, if you watch very closely when they win the final match, you’ll see me, right behind C. Thomas Howell, doing my best jump & cheer in my green Body Glove bikini, Wayfarer sunglasses and neon coral shorts.  Once the sun went down, I drove Kristen back down to San Diego (and back home), in Friday rush hour traffic.  Despite the 10+ hours in the car in 24 hours, it was a great day.  And the time in the car gave us plenty of time to make up new lyrics to the Beach Boys song “Kokomo” to document every moment of our day.  Even now when I hear that song, I can’t help but sing our version of the lyrics.

And, today, on December 7^th, 2017 I will do what I always do:  Wish Kelly, one of my best high school friends a Happy Birthday (she was also born on December 7^th, 1966 – which isn’t why she was one of my best friends but it didn’t hurt), try to find time to watch one of my favorite C. Thomas Howell movies (hopefully “Secret Admirer”); and, purchase a sweet treat to celebrate (usually I share it with my co-workers but this year I’m out of town).

It’s true.  Teen idol crushes never really go completely away.  During the formative years of youth when they manifest themselves, they can absolutely consume the emotions of a young inspired adolescent – and it’s difficult to completely remove that kind of love from one’s personality.  I was one of those girls.  I am one of those girls.  I will always be one of those girls.  And, even though my teen years are far, far behind me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Happy 51^st Birthday C. Thomas Howell!  #50WeeksTo50

*Note:  When my parents moved into a condo, my mother lovingly removed each of those C. Thomas Howell photos (even the tiny postage stamp size ones), carefully removing every piece of tape so she could mail them to me in LA.  That tells you everything.  And, the image accompanying this post is of some of my stashed teen magazines that escaped the cut-out phase or they were doubles.  Maybe for eBay one day – for now, still my treasures.