Last week, the Motion Picture Academy awarded Oscars for the 78th consecutive time and this week, this column awards DIDOs for the second consecutive time. To win an Oscar you have to be terrific just once. For example, Philip Seymour Hoffman, known to the inside crowd as a marvelous actor who's never had a leading role, and totally unknown to those of us on the outside, received an Oscar as the best actor for his role in "Capote." One performance and he gets an Oscar.
The question we asked last year was "where's the academy that recognizes the little guys?" We appointed ourselves as that academy and called our awards the DIDO Awards. DIDO stands for "day-in-day-out." DIDO awards go to folks who perform in positions that get little or no recognition but give solid performances not just once, but day-in-day-out. Only those demonstrating consistency as tested by time: day-in-day-out.
Names of the award winners will not be given. Recognition is not what motivates them. But more importantly, my description will undoubtedly fit more people than I know about so you can name your own names.
I went out and bought a gallon of milk tonight to make sure I had some for my oatmeal tomorrow morning. It was a bargain. Talk about day-in-day-out, if that doesn't describe the American dairy farmer, nothing does. The cows have to be milked every day 365 days a year. Most are milked twice and in some operations it's three times. If you want a day off, you better have a cousin you can call. They once milked 40 cows and now it's probably closer to 400. At 40, the cows all had names and the farmers knew every one by name. At 400 they start to look alike. There is no rest for the dairy farmer. Yes, dairy farmers get the 2006 DIDO Award for excellence in feeding the flock with nature's perfect food.
My mother is in a nursing home. Day-in-day-out she is cared for by nurses, aides, housekeepers, cooks, food servers, custodians, chaplains, therapists and social workers who really care. They help her with mundane tasks and share friendship, personal stories, jokes, laughs and tears. Their jobs are a special calling and they do their work with heart. Nursing home workers got the 2006 DIDO Heart Award.
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I am acquainted with about 20 technical college students who have undertaken the challenge of changing their lot in life. They have jobs, children and other duties outside the classroom. But day-in-day-out they attend class, do their homework, study at home and hustle to educate and improve themselves. These "techies" win the 2006 DIDO Hustle Award.
Soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guard members are serving day-in-day-out in Iraq, Afghanistan and other scary places around the world working for and fighting for freedom in America and all across the globe. Some will die, some will lose limbs, some will return to a lifetime of nightmares and some will come back whole. All deserve our prayers and appreciation. The armed services get out DIDO Hero Award for 2006. Let's hope they're all home by this time next year.
You know folks just like all of these. Day-in and day-out they represent the best of what we have to offer in America. These are our brothers and sisters. You won't read about most of them in the paper (except here now) and you won't see them on TV, but they do more to make life worth living than George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Barry Bonds combined. Tell them you appreciate what they're doing, pat them on the back and give thanks for each and every one.
