Methods of Distraction

The day after

I know this post is not in the order in which I normally write (i.e. not on a Tuesday or Thursday), but this is the day after one of the biggest award ceremonies in the entertainment industry. For the first time in more than a decade I did not watch the Academy Awards. I didn't even have the urge to flip on the TV to see the gowns on the red carpet. And, for the first time ever, someone I have met and spent some not-so-quality time with recieved an Oscar for his work. The person I am speaking of is Glen Hansard, who, along with his girlfriend Marketa Irglova, won the Oscar for Best Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from Once. Nearly four years ago, I attended a Damien Rice show in Cleveland and ended up chatting with the drummer from the opening act (Hansard's band The Frames) during all of Rice's set. The drummer (whose name I do not remember and is no longer with the band) eventually introduced me to the rest of the band members including Hansard. I spent the better part of four hours chatting and joking with Hansard and his bandmates. One of the most vivid memories I have of Hansard was me falling and him leaning over to point and laugh before he offered his hand to help me up. You can't tell me Oscar winners aren't gentlemen.