The 81st annual Academy Awards were elegantly and enthusiastically presented Sunday without a hitch. As usual the Oscar winners received awards without an overwhelming number of people having seen the movies and the actors who performed their roles with sensitivity and caring. As a matter of fact, I haven't seen any of these films yet, which, happily, gives me something very interesting to look forward to in the coming months.
The excitement generated at these award ceremonies, along with the extraordinary fashions and VIP party gatherings, always take me back to the times I have had a few seconds of "applause", basking in a bit of limelight.
As a sophomore in a high schools play, where solo on stage I sang with true melancholy, "The song of love is a sad song, Hi Lilly, hi Lilly, hi lo; the song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know? I sit by the window and watch the rain, hi Lilly, hi Lilly, Hi Lo"; as twilight set, the rain softly falling outside the window where I sat in the corner.
Dancing with my fellow "Kolo" troupe from St. Anthony's Croatian Church, sharing performances with UCLA's "AMAN" cultural dancers and Duquesne University Tamburitza and folk group; all performing intricate folk dances from Europe at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Finally, having a fun time strutting about, modeling and showing off May Company's Campus Casuals line of sportswear fashions during my senior year in high school in 1962.
No Oscars were given, but a healthy respect was gained for the talent, many hours of practice and cooperation necessary among performers and stage crew to put on even a comparatively small production in a "vast" category known only as "show-biz"!
