It was Academy Awards night this past Sunday. I love going to the movies. You can watch a ton of movies in the comfort of your home, but I like seeing them for the first time on the big screen in the theater.

I can’t imagine you could experience the movie “Gravity” in its fullest effect on television. If you didn’t see the broadcast, it won a bunch of Oscars and was nominated for some others. Alfonso Cuaron was awarded his Oscar for Best Director.

“12 Years as a Slave” won best picture and perhaps it will remind people that racism was and is in the fabric of our society. It is critical that we stay alert to the injustices as well as honor the successes of our lives.

“Dallas Buyers Club” does the same for an issue that seems to me to havw faded to the background of our awareness. AIDS is still a huge threat to our well-being. That battle is not over. Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor (my personal pick) and Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor in roles that are jangling to the nerves and big wake up calls.

Kate Blanchett’s Best Actress Oscar for “Blue Jasmine” led the women’s parade along with newcomer Luupito Nyong’s performance in “12 Years a Slave” in a supporting role. So what has me write about this event since I am not trying to be the late Roger Ebert?
What about the non-winners? In our win/lose culture are they now any less? Meryl Streep has been nominated 18 times so she will probably still be in favor. Or, is she now over the hill? Leonardo DiCaprio is just an also-ran now. Of course not, you say. Well don’t be so sure. Just don’t let it happen very often.

Isn’t the game in life to perform your very best regardless of the circumstances? To bounce back from failure and go again? Are we teaching our kids this? Every moviemaker there last night took a risk and invested in an idea. Nine movies were nominated out of hundreds released. Most of those that weren’t nominated are working on the next idea as we speak. Do we live “never, never give up” or do we fold up our tent and disappear into the night?