-Isms: Views on life in rural America

Trivia time: Which singer passed on the role of Sandy in the film version of “Grease?”

Can you see Marie Osmond playing the good-girl-turned-biker-babe? What about Carrie Fisher? Or Susan Dey, who played Susan in “The Partridge Family?”

The iconic film from my teen years would not be the same without Olivia Newton-John snuggled next to John Travolta as the two fly off into the clouds in the 1977 movie produced by Alan Carr. The entire family, and my high school beau, watched the box office blockbuster at the Rivoli Theater, in Hastings, during its opening weekend. The classic dichotomy between bad boy and good girl, coupled with all the missteps along the way, proved that in the end, love conquers all. Plus, the on-screen chemistry between the two stars was mesmerizing, magnetic. Swoon!

Everyone wanted to be Olivia/Sandy, sing like Olivia/Sandy and snag the guy who resembled John/Danny. We all longed for those “...summer flings, don’t mean a thing, but oh, those summer nights!”

Part of my high school identity slipped away, Monday, as news of Newton-John’s death popped up via the Associated Press. If I dig through the box of 45s tucked away in my closet, I’m sure I’d find “Let Me Be There” and “I Honestly Love You.” Her musical stylings were a constant in our household. Even the crackle of an eight-track or pop when the needle landed on a 33 couldn’t distract from her pure sound. We’d listen over and over and over, whether she sang country or disco or contemporary. Then, we’d switch LPs and sing our way through the entire “Grease” soundtrack.

Years later, what impressed me about Olivia was how she handled a breast cancer diagnosis. At the time, she told reporters, “Cancer is just a word,” stressing she chose to keep a positive attitude about recovery. She started a cancer wellness facility in her home country, Australia, and for more than 30 years, championed finding a cure.

Olivia, it’s easy to see why “Your Danny, Your John” remained “Hopelessly Devoted to You” all these years. Many of us did, too.

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If you can answer the “fill-in-the-blank” on Page 1 of last week’s edition of SAM, I’m happy to report I can, too.

As I was pulling photos for last week’s paper, I found the picture of Ella Rasmussen from last year’s Page community day celebration. Somewhere in my notes, I thought I had asked her name and written it down. Couldn’t find it scribbled anywhere, so I enlisted the help of a Page friend. No luck. I made a note on my proof sheet to change the ----- to “A young girl ...”

As (un)luck would have it, I forgot to check the proof sheet before uploading the Page. And, as (un)luck would have it, I didn’t notice it until late Wednesday evening, while uploading the E-edition.

As luck would have it, I overheard her mom telling the story about the “no-name” photo during Saturday’s Page community day. I admitted my error - because that’s what you do when you make a mistake, you own it - and we chuckled about it, brainstorming ways to have fun with the lack of identification. The end result is on Page 1.