Marc Hoover
Last Sunday was the 88th Academy Awards ceremony.

Although I am familiar with several of the nominated actors, I have not seen any nominated movies. Even if you watch an awards show, you won’t remember the winners or losers after a few days.

And for the actors and actresses who win awards, does it really boost their image among their fans and peers? Possibly. If you like Leonardo DiCaprio movies, do you even care if he has any awards? Probably not. A true fan would continue watching DiCaprio’s movies even if he never received an Academy Award.

Consider your favorite professional athlete or the car you drive. If you found out that your car had never won an award, would you still drive it? Of course you would. And what about Dan Marino or Charles Barkley? Both men played professional sports. Among their peers, they are legends. Unfortunately, Marino never won a Vince Lombardi trophy and Charles Barkley never won an NBA Championship ring. Both men had long careers and left without any gold rings.

Does this diminish their legacies or take anything away from their careers? No, because both men were exceptional athletes.

I am not criticizing anyone for receiving an award for excellence. An award, however, or the lack of one, doesn’t define a person. Another issue with trophies is that everyone receives one. Years ago, an award or trophy had meaning because they were rarely given.

Today, you can receive an award or trophy just for participating, which reduces its value.

Former Bengals player James Harrison recently made headlines because he made his two sons return their participation trophies. He taught them a valuable lesson. Trophies should be earned for performance, and not just making an appearance. If you earn an award, that’s even better. But, in the end, it’s your hard work that will define you.

Marc is a grandparent and longtime resident of Clermont County. Visit his author page at http://www.lifewithgrandpa.com and blog at www.wisegrandpa.com.