H.D.S

‘Huston also writes that Jack liked Harry Dean Stanton’s name so much that he wrote it somewhere in every film that he did. So, whether it was his initials on a prison wall in graffiti, or carved into a tree in a Western, if you look closely at this period of his movies, you’ll see “H.D.S.” somewhere.’ — Vanity Fair

I came across this beautiful image on my Instagram feed this morning. A photo of Jack Nicholson and Harry Dean Stanton court-side at a Lakers game. Seeing the pair together brought back memories of Anjelica Huston’s touching memoir Watch Me, which I tucked into last year. Huston and Nicholson were romantically involved for over a decade, on and off again lovers from the early seventies to the mid-eighties. 

At the onset of their relationship, Nicholson was prone to carving out Stanton’s initials (on and off camera) wherever he went. It was a compulsive act, driven by his obsession with Stanton’s name and his uncomplicated love for the Kentucky native.

It got me to reflecting on those simple passions. The ones we can’t help indulging. 

The more we open ourselves to these moments, the easier it becomes to start living for the now.

Xo