I was awoken this morning by a middle child exclaiming "the Olympics, the Olympics are on." I rolled out of bed and headed for the living room just in time to catch the parade of athletes. A few minutes later Canada strolled out to a generous ovation. Thanks Beijing, unlike most schools, you had class today. My wife slunk into the room just in time to catch Canada and before long her Olympic tears began their quick descent down cheek mountain. I say her "Olympic tears" because every 2 years when the Olympics are on she wells up with emotion. It's strange actually. Let me explain by way of judgement and sarcasm.
I like sports. All kinds. If it was up to me they would always be on. The TV, the radio, even a live feed streaming directly into my retina. Angie on the other hand loathes them. She hates all the sports streams. For one, they "take her husband away from the family." But even more importantly "they are the most pointless thing on the planet not to mention a huge waste of time, money and effort." With that in mind, you can imagine my confusion each and every time the Olympic tears come out. She says its different. At least here they are competing for their country rather then for a cup or a team they'll ask to be traded from the following year. A solid point I must concede.
I rolled up to work this morning in my freshly washed car and once inside I began idle chit chat with the Administrative assistant. She used to be the secretary until human rights got involved. One of the things we chitted and chatted about was the said Olympics. I used my excitable voice when asking "the Olympics began today, are you gonna watch, are you, are you?" She replied, using her unimpressed voice -" no, I don't usually get into the whole Olympic thing but especially not this year when the host nation is guilty of crimes against their own people." A solid point I must admit, but still, its the Olympics.
Shortly after that TREMENDOUS let down I went online to check my morning Facebook. Once on, I engaged in some more idle chit chat with another she. A Chelshe. Using my excitable font I said "the Olympics are on." She said, and I quote, "OH, Meh." What is the deal with these silly women? Its the OLYMPICS. What do you mean MEH? I think Chelsey picked up on my horrified reaction which is why she said "its mostly the summer Olympics I don't like, the winter are ok." Wow. Chelsey is a fantastic wife to Peter, mother to Eva, follower of Jesus, photographer and friend/cousinkinda to me but when it comes to her Olympicness, wow girl, you're not off the hook, you're like so not fly or hot with it.
So yeah, the Olympics are on. Yeh!
John
7 comments:
olympics suck. nuff said.
"she used to be the secretary until human rights got involved" - what did i become after?!?
i consider myself an avid sports fan. what does avid mean, anyway? anyway, i loves the sports. football, basketball, hockey, baseball, golf, even the occasional curling match. after all, i am a roberts.
but there is something about the olympics that has never got me excited. i think that growing up, i was always mad because it interrupted cartoons. cbc has always broadcast them since i can remember, and i would get up to go watch cartoons, and lo and behold, there was some marathon/pole vault/kayaking event on. it ticked me off. i didn't have cable. all i had was kid's cbc. now, i'm a little older, so it's not the cartoons. at least not fully. i did have to miss curious george this morning. but i just can't get excited. i might watch a few things. but they seem so boring to me. i'm similar to chels, in that i like the winter olympics better, cause at least there is hockey. but i am just not that excited. i have a friend named tom who doesn't care about sports, but for two weeks, he said he will be glued to his TV watching the olympics. i don't get it.
to top that all off, china hosting the games sends a shiver down my spine. hearing stories of them changing their culture to be more friendly to the world saddens me. having police walk around specifically designed to give people grief for things like spitting on the sidewalk or littering, only because the world is watching seems very dishonest to me, and i think is destroying a piece of chinese culture. not that spitting and littering are pieces of chinese culture, but here is a better example. in places where olympic events are being held, they are shutting down businesses that have been around for ages because they are in ugly buildings, and they want to make a good impression. in other cases, they are even going so far as to destroy homes of people that don't look like they are in good shape. they are leaving people without homes all for the sake of making a good impression. if you have to sell your soul to make a good impression, is that really worth it? i don't think so. destroying your people for the sake of appearing as something that you aren't is...well...ridiculous. and that's not even getting into pollution, other heinous human rights abuses, and so on and so on.
so, i don't like the olympics. but the fact that the chinese government is creating a charade in order to trick people makes me sick as well. so i think i'll stay away. just my personal...long...opinion.
I like the Olympics because to me it is the ultimate reality television. Real people in real competition to acheive real challenges. I like the stories about athletes who overcome their personal situations to arrive on the world stage and wow us all. I loike that in all sports but it is what the Olympics specialize in.
It irritates me that so much political baggage is attached to the games. Who's hosting and what signals are being sent by a nation's athletes showing up?--all that seems so petty. Can't we humans set aside our conflicts over human rights, religious rights, culture and territorial rights for a few weeks and let a grand collection of athletic individuals with personal goals and national pride take their skill to the ultimate global test. We aren't asking anyone to permanently turn a blind eye to China's abuses or tragedy in Darfur or any of eath's problems. We're just asking if we could set that aside for a few weeks and celebrate what's good in humanity and try to appreciate what these individuals. Then we can go back to fixing all the multitude of what's broke in our world.
Admittedly, I do get bored with some of the events. But my competitive side kicks in and I say "go Canada" when one of us is diving or sculling or any number of things that I would never think of just watching for the fun of it.
I have work to do here so I gotta go. For todqay, I'll have to rely on the news highlights.
Thanks Blair. I agree with all the China stuff although I think you're still just a ticked off boy missing the Smurfs. haha.
Thanks Scrawny, I agree with your comments about putting aside our issues and focusing on each other for 2 weeks. The Olympics does well with that.
Thanks anonymous, suck it though.
ha, suck it. well said.
john,
hey man. i kind of know what you mean. i like the idea of putting aside our differences and getting along for the two weeks. but i don't think i can ignore the abuses or chinese officials worldwide and at home, nor do i think that we should. i think political statements are often pointless and in bad taste, but i think as people concerned with morality, we should very much be protesting and making whatever moral statement we deem appropriate against the chinese government. the problem is that it is often seen as a slight on the chinese people, which we should never do. the chinese people have a long and rich, beautiful history and culture. but it is difficult for me to support something that is supporting a government that does things such as china. i don't know. in the grand scheme of things, it would be much easier to just lay down my defensiveness and enjoy some tremendous athletes. but my heart is giving me some grief. and i don't know if i can. maybe that says more about my weakness than it does about the chinese government. just some more thoughts...
Post a Comment