That could have been me holding that Oscar

I could have won an Oscar

     I really could have.  But I was born in the wrong place, went to the wrong school, picked the wrong occupation.
     Seriously.  I perform in local theater, and sometimes I do OK.  But imagine if I had gone to a performing high school, or moved to LA and waited tables.
     You might have been watching me tonight.  Imagine me as ..... well, OK, that is a little hard to do.  I could have been in  the Wolf on Wall Street as .... again, maybe not.  I'd be a Kevin Spacey type actor.
      Or possibly a screen writer.  I have always loved writing.  I have written one book.  Well, maybe not an Oscar for that talent.....I sent it to a publisher and it was returned with an empty envelope.  Evidently it was so bad it did not deserve a rejection notice.
    Make up artist?  I can't put my own eyeliner on, so I guess that's out.  Besides, I may be color tone blind.  (Blue could be black, brown sometimes is black, reds sometimes are orange...that's why sometimes I dress funny.)
      Musical score....I don't play an instrument or read music, so maybe that would not be possible either.
      Costume designer?  That would work if I could design incredibly revealing dresses for every actress in every situation.  Men could wear whatever.
     Set design...nope, can't build anything.
     Editing...., I have a hard time picking one or two when Dr. Kelly asks, "Is your vision clearer with lens one, or two?"   I would spend all day agonizing over itty bitty details in the editing room... like what color socks to wear, or when to eat lunch.
      Directing?  I've directed a couple of plays.  I prefer managing because I find the actors usually have a better vision than I do.  Except for "Sideways Stories"...that came out well.
     Special effects...out; ditto for best song.
     OK, so maybe I would not have won an Oscar tonight.
     But don't you often watch a TV show, or movie, and think, "I could do that.....that could be me up there."
      I truly believe that a lot of those actors are not innately better than I am, or you are,  but they had the coaching, experience, opportunity, and teaching  that we were never in a position to have.
      I see that in a lot of us.  Former students who dance, design sets, act, sing.  People I've met who wanted to break into the business, but did not.  What makes someone a superstar, and someone else with as much talent an unknown.
      Opportunity?  Drive?  Luck?  Chance?
      Every time I perform, or get in front of a crowd, I keep thinking someone will approach me and say, "Hey, we are looking for an older guy to play in our hit movie.  Here's a million dollars for you to join us."  (Years ago, older was not in that sentence.)
      I know it sounds crazy.
      Just as crazy as me getting a book published.
      But I can dream, can't I?