A lesson in life from an unexpected teacher
“If you are at home and you’re sitting on your couch and you are watching this right now, all I have to say is this is hard work. I’ve worked hard for a long time and it’s not about winning. What it’s about is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion and it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down or you’re beaten up, it’s about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going.” Lady Gaga, 2019 Oscar acceptance speech.
I do enjoy watching the Oscars and have since I was a girl, especially the evening gowns and the red carpet with reporters from all over the world. Last year Dianne Ansbaugh and I were behind the red carpet velvet rope in Hollywood with People magazine for the Oscars, which was exciting. This year I was one of those sitting on my couch watching on TV.
There are few truly memorable or impactful acceptance speeches, but on Sunday Lady Gaga, in the authentic moment that she received the Oscar for writing Best Original Song for “A Star is Born,” gave me pause. No truer words have ever been spoken on that stage. “... this is hard work.” For every song or script or performance there are hours and years of everything she speaks of. And that’s the secret for achieving anything worthwhile in life. It’s hard work. Amen to that, Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga.
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March is coming in like a lion ... a lion riding the arctic express! Since it’s still winter and this is North Idaho, we can expect some more lion-like weather between now and the end of March. I’m always surprised when people are surprised when we have snow in the winter.
Take this extreme cold seriously. Kids walking to and from school? I actually saw more than one middle schooler this week wearing shorts and a sweatshirt. Not cool. But definitely cold. In North Dakota when our kids were young, school bus drivers could not allow kids to board a bus unless they were dressed appropriately for the winter weather. They needed to be wearing boots, coat, hat and gloves in the event a bus became stuck or disabled. My time in North Dakota gave me a real respect for how serious extreme cold can be. Bundle up friends.
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What’s Happening:
CYT North Idaho’s final performances of “Godspell” at the Kroc Center, Friday through Sunday.
Friday from noon to midnight at Peak in Post Falls, 11th annual Red, Ride & Blue Charity Ride to benefit the Kootenai County Police and Fire Memorial Foundation. 208-773-0611.
The Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy celebrates 20 years with a chili cook-off and auction at the school from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday. 208-676-1667
Saturday, the Bartender’s Ball at The Resort Plaza Shops from 5:30 to 9 p.m. to benefit Help Every Little Paw.
The 23rd annual Wine, Stein and Dine benefiting the Post Falls Education Foundation at the Greyhound Park from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets: www.pfefwsd.org or 208-691-4675
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Happy birthday today to John Darlas, Karen Cocoran, David Sheridan,Tawny Brown, Camille Hutchison, Steve Lux, Eddie Jerome, Hailey Pierce and Mary Herrick. Thursday Don Pischner, Bridgette Lowry, Dave Brubaker, Gary Dagastine, Bob Flowers, Bill Reese, Al Telles, Maurie Bruce, Dean Walsmith, Allison Gerzina (40!) and Robin Gerzina (70!) take another trip around the sun. Celebrating March 1 birthdays are June Goecke, Faye Griffiths, Preston Hill (40!), Marina Otter, Lisa Tucker, Connie Chalich, Bud Kobs (70!), Megan Aker, Karen Welts and John Billetz. On Saturday LeeAnn Cheeley, Conrad Nelsen, Sharon Menti, Rhonda Shippey, Ginny Easterly, Alexander Endo, Randy Hurt and Nickolas Aker put on their party hats. March 3 is the birthday of Sari Walt, Rebecca Kilmer, Rich Henning, Jessica Coleman and Gail Kinloch. On Monday Michael Ward, Chris Guggemos, Sam Williamson, James Steffensen and Jon Newcomb blow out the candles. Natalie Eckstein, Becky Funk, Jim Riley, Amy Tolzmann Warker, Paula Ryan, Nicole Barnhart, Kelly Lattin, Hallie Gennett, Allison Mehan, Stacy Veach, Carly Hall and Matt Matthews celebrate on Tuesday. And while there are only 28 days in February this year a shout out to Leap Year babies born on Feb. 29: Boston Smock, Kris Helstrom, Dean Walsmith, Dr. Jim Anderson, Lana Johnson Fensky, Nancy DiGiammarco and Charlet Hannon.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.