Respect

I haven't watched the Oscar Awards in years. As I'm in my mid-50s, I think it's because the stars I grew up watching have died or are kept hidden. I haven't seen anyone new in the past 15 years, either on TV or at the movies, that has really moved me, acting. I did not even see all of the Oscar presentations last night... the book I was reading was much more entertaining. But. But ... I was watching when Kirk Douglas was introduced to present an award. I closed my book and I turned up the volume on the TV a tiny bit. Kirk Douglas is 94 years old; he has had a stroke; last night he became my hero while "hamming it up" during his presentation.

Kirk Douglas at 94 does not resemble the Kirk Douglas from Spartacus - nor should he. I have read over 300 comments from viewers of last night's awards show, and I have been saddened by the content of most of the messages. Most people have said that Kirk should have been kept at home, and that his appearance was appalling, shameful, and demeaning. I found it to be an extremely brave and grand gesture. I never knew any of my grandparents or great-grandparents, and I have longed to sit at an elder's knee and be told the truths of the world. Kirk Douglas has always been regarded as a handsome man, and last night he became my favorite leading man of all time. At the age of 94, he moves with a cane, and he had a handsome "assistant" to help him with his marks on stage - but he spoke clearly and showed that definite sense of humor that is his alone. - When my husband had his first stroke, his personality underwent a change. He continued to have multiple mini-stokes for several years, and each one changed him. I was astounded when his mother and siblings told me that I should place him in a nursing home and forget him. I am still amazed by their beliefs today, eight years after his death. - Once a stroke has killed brain cells, re-learning everything becomes a challenge. To have been able to see Kirk Douglas appear on stage and make an Oscar presentation at the age of 94 was the most incredible thing I have yet lived to see. The sight of Kirk Douglas, standing on that stage, in front of his peers, 'hamming it up' and seemingly having a ball doing so, was the most inspiring thing that I have ever seen during the Oscars. God bless you, Kirk. Thank you for being such a wonderful and enduring man.