An awards season that seemed as endless as our winter finally concluded with the 86th Academy Awards, which made itself known by the gowns (hey, somebody actually wore a necklace at one of these things!); the hair; Best Actor Matthew McConaughey; Best Picture and history-making (on multiple fronts) movie 12 Years a Slave; Best Supporting Actor Jared Leto’s tribute to his mother; Matthew McConaughey; the, er, dude-in-love-with-his-computer operating system movie (Her) that got Best Original Screenplay; the play-by-play commentaries on Facebook (so why is Kerry Washington’s husband never with her?); and Matthew McConaughey.
All well and good. In fact, the Oscars (and fellow awards shows) have inspired me to give a little down-to-earth credit where credit is due, in the form of the Talkmistress Awards.
Sorry, the Talkmistresses will not be awarded via a nationally televised, black-tie, red-carpet event scrutinized by commentators and fashion experts famous and obscure. There won’t even be a Talkmistress statue awarded. (No comments on how such a statue would be shaped, thank you very much.) Just a mention here and an assurance that you are very much appreciated.
And the awards, in a hodgepodge of categories, go to:
The man who had either cat-box litter or rock salt and helped Dre and me out the first time we were caught out in the rampant Bad Winter Weather of 2014 - Feb. 8, on our way home from a Cajun’s Wharf event in a raging snow and trying to navigate a troublesome incline on Cantrell Road. Anyone whose cars got stuck was visited by this gentleman, who ran out and threw the substance in front of their tires. Presto … the driver became instantly unstuck. He helped us out twice. After hearing of all the people who had wrecks- or abandoned their cars, only to have to pay quite a chunk to the tow trucks that took those cars to the impound lot - we were extra grateful.
Credit unions. Especially small, employer-related ones that know their customers and will do things for them that their banks cannot and/or will not do. I’ve belonged to my employee credit union for most of my nearly 33 years here at the newspaper, and those who operate our credit union have helped me out in ways untold. And while they’ve done so, they’ve been nonjudgmental and allowed me to retain my dignity in a world whose rapid changes have brought a lot of crackdowns in that arena. It really felt good using the combination of the credit union and the Internet to avoid salesperson hassles the last time I bought a car.
Two tireless advocates for the homeless. Sandra Wilson, founder of Reach Out Arkansas, and Dennis Beavers, the late founder of SOAR (Sharing Opportunities for Achievement and Renewal) Network for Homeless Outreach, who passed away in February. I give these two special kudos for going light years above the “Oh,poor people”/hand somebody a dollar or two on the street occasionally while thinking “Get a job” or “I’m sorry for them but don’t put that shelter in my neighborhood” attitude so many of us harbor. Thanks, guys, for truly caring about the homeless fellows, now friends, in Dre’s and my neighborhood, and others out there who have nowhere to go.
Busy Prayer warriors. They’re the ones who will stop and immediately say a word of prayer, no matter when and where, when they see a prayer request on social media or receive one directly. These are the people I’m trying to become more like, rather than saying, “Oh yeah, I’ll pray for you,” then immediately forget. The busy prayer warrior knows she’ll forget, and therefore doesn’t take any chances. She won’t just say a quick, “God, please help So-and-So”either. It may be a short prayer, but it’ll be a zinger.
My mother - the late Betty Lewis, who passed 17 years ago this month - and mothers like her everywhere. These are the mothers who, were we to don outfits like those chosen by Pharrell Williams and the other unofficial “worst dressed” Oscars attendees, would say “I know you’re not wearing that out anywhere, are you?” And the email goes to: hwilliams@arkansasonline.com
Style, Pages 45 on 03/09/2014