Olympic Crazy!

Ever since I was a kid I have been a bit of an olympic nut. Every few years for a two week period you can find my holed up with my TV as the world’s elite athlete’s compete.

I am not an athlete (unless you consider hurting one’s self a sport), but that doesn’t stop me from trying to understand the physiology and psychology behind the events. For that two week period I pretend I know what judges are looking for and what is in the minds of the athletes.

I am so proud of all of the Canadian athletes. I can’t imagine what it must be like to train like they do and feel the stress they do. Even the Canadians who come in 30th place… I still think that is amazing. I wish I could say I was the 30th best in the world at anything. OUT OF 6 BILLION PEOPLE. Crazy.

The olympics also bring out my patriotic side. Anyone who knows me really well knows that I get teary-eyed every time I hear the national anthem sung by a crowd. It turns out I all out cry when Canadians win medals. There is something incredibly powerful about sharing a moment with an entire nation.

I am also aware of the dark side of the olympics and have been tuning in to some of the protests going on. Events like this bring increased prostitution (and human trafficing), displaced homeless people, and somewhat irresponsible spending to name a few problems. However, I am a firm believer that it is not the athletes that create these problems, and this is their moment to celebrate and us with them. The dark side of the olympics is a symptom of much deeper systemic issues within our society and government. Protesting the games is like trying to treat symptoms of a disease to cure it. It’s not going to work… let’s celebrate some of our successes instead. The games are here, and happiness is a choice.

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