I don't do much TV because there's not much worth spending time on. Last night I happened upon the Screen Actor's Guild awards and watched for a bit. Something that Philip Seymour Hoffman said stuck with me: "Actors can't act alone."

An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows for flexibility for writers to focus on different characters in different episodes. In addition, the departure of players is less disruptive to the premise than it would be if the star of a production with a regularly structured cast leaves.

The humility of being selected as the best by their peers was staggering for most of those being honored, because they realized that it was not a popularity contest but a vote of confidence in their acting ability from others who also love what they do. Some were big box office draws, but most were simply artisans who embrace the craft in a way that personifies passion for their chosen field.

That got me to ponderin' about ensembles in the real world. Every day of every life is spent in tandem with the lives of many others...family, friends, co-workers and serendipitously met strangers. It's a beautiful moment when the wise and humble person can stop and say " Self, it's not all about me. The ensemble is functional only if we all contribute our best and share the rewards of unconditional love in spite of hardships and differing opinions."

Here's an example for ya.