If I say Ghost, you say Patrick Swayze.
If I say Ghost, you say Demi Moore.
If I say Ghost, you say Whoopi Goldberg.
I love a good word association game, so here’s one more…
If I say Ghost, you say…
Pottery!
Was there ever a doubt as to the Ghost-inspired date from the 1990 supernatural romantic hit starring Swayze, Moore, and Goldberg? I think not. This one was easy. The notorious clay-molding moment, often dubbed “the most famous pottery scene in cinema history,” sees a shirtless Swayze sitting behind Moore as she sits at a pottery wheel, carefully sculpting the wet clay. Enhanced by The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody softly playing in the background, the romantic moment showcases the intimate ability of an activity such as pottery.
Now, I could have gone the route of selecting a finished pottery product, solely for a painting endeavor date. And though that would have been cheaper, yet again, have you seen Ghost? Bring on the pottery wheel! With Moore, Swayze, and even Goldberg in mind, I scheduled a one-time hourlong wheel throwing pottery session for two, with Creative Arts Studios in Royal Oak, Michigan.
As the date inched closer, I felt as if we were nearing the climax of our own cinematic love story, heightened by the fact that this would be a first for both my wife and me. But at last, the day arrived. After entering the art studio, we headed towards the back to meet our instructor and pottery-making professional. For the life of me, I wish I could remember her name. She was phenomenal. I was glad to see it was a party fit for three, as opposed to a group session. (Does that make our instructor the third wheel?)
After putting on our sexy aprons, we each sat down in front of a pottery wheel. The real fun was about to begin! We’d be making bowls. Before getting to the clay, I found it interesting when our third wheel asked, “what do we hope to get from this experience?” Because if we’re looking to make perfect bowls, she informed us, we’d likely be disappointed. But no worries, at least for me. I was there for this new, out-of-my-comfort-zone experience.
I’ve never been an arts and crafts kind of guy, both in talent and interest, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the messy process of forming my pottery bowl. At one point, I got a little too aggressive, leading to an imperfection at the top of the outer rim. The instructor asked if I’d like to try and fix that. “It adds character, not to mention highlights my personality,” I replied, choosing to leave it alone.
As the clay-molding fun continued, I wondered how our third wheel would feel about me trying to further emulate “the most famous pottery scene in cinema history” with a little lip-locking fun. But in the end, I used my better judgement and restrained myself from impersonating the Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze post-pottery make out session. Patience, I thought. Who says the date can’t continue at home?
Once the bowl was in a desired shape, it was time to paint. We walked over to the paint shelf in search of the perfect colors to complete our works of art. I went with three different varieties of red and orange, going for a fiery look, while my wife stuck to shades of blue. After painting, and with the curtain just about closed on our first ever pottery date, I was already looking forward to returning in a week to pick up our finished bowls. Instead, I was surprised to hear they’d call us in 5-6 weeks. Even adding, “we’d forget about our bowls by the time that call came.” And yet again, patience, my friends, though this time didn’t involve thoughts of Swayze and Moore getting it on.
Weeks later…
And sure enough, our pottery bowls became a distant memory. Perhaps it’s true that “good things come to those who wait,” because eventually, the call came. My excitement filled our white minivan as we drove back to the Creative Arts Studio. We even invited our older daughter to tag along on the premise that she was our photographer, responsible for capturing the moment at the scene of the crime, er “date.”
Outside the studio, we carefully opened the box which contained our bowls. And by carefully, let’s just say I may have chastised my wife for not cradling it like a baby. I loved them! And sure enough, my flaming bowl’s imperfected top would serve as the perfect spoon rest.
Until next time, keep dating.
Brent
BUILD YOUR OWN DATE – Ghost
Note: The following ideas all came from the movie. Feel free to use one, all, or something else. The choice is yours.
Locations:
Art Studio – Pottery
Fortune Teller
Activities:
Pottery Wheel Lesson
Buy at-home pottery kit.
Learn “I love you” in different languages.
Get a psychic reading.
Go for a walk.
Dance at home
Take a ride on the Subway.
See a musical or theater production.
Brent Bonus:
Come on! This one is obvious. Be a better person than me and reenact “the most famous pottery scene in cinema history.” 😊