There was a time that my world would come to a screeching halt for the duration of the Olympic games. Summer and winter. It was the one time I’d wrestle control of the television from my hubby – although it wasn’t very hard as he was just as enthralled as I was with watching the athletes compete for the precious Gold.
Okay, in all transparency, we didn’t necessarily enjoy every sport- curling comes to mind, as does boxing for different reasons- I loved all the water sports, the equestrian competitions, track and field, and gymnastics. Hubby was pretty much with me on most sports, although equestrian was his least favorite after curling. Still, he was always so ready to alert me to an event being broadcast during a time I absolutely had to be in my home office to meet a deadline for an article or column.
He was the man who won my heart on out third date when he came with me to the barn where I boarded my horse. Second date had me watching him play hockey, so he owed me.
Anyway, I’m digressing so far off topic, I need a map to get back.
The Olympics. That’s what you’re writing about Maryann.
Okay. Got it!
In years past I waxed rather poetically about the symbolism of the Olympics and my excitement about the games – most of that waxing appearing in my weekly column for the Texas Catholic Newspaper. Sadly, I didn’t keep some of those columns, but some of the sentiments have been repeated here on my blog over the years. The following is an excerpt from a post I wrote in 2016:
“The Olympics have always thrilled me. I love everything about the opening and closing ceremonies, the games, the individual events, and I even watch things I normally wouldn’t – like basketball. The only events I don’t watch are the boxing matches. Never could get my mind around two people punching each other and calling it sport.
A long time ago, I wrote a column for a newspaper about how the Olympics brings the world together in a special way that the idealist in me wishes could happen all the time. Why are so many countries “friends” every four years, then enemies the rest of the time?
No matter your thoughts about that, or your take on boxing, I know that many other people share my excitement about the summer games starting and have watched as much as possible.”
There’s an idealist inside me that still feels the same way about the possibilities of the Olympics.
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As a kid, I had little awareness of the Olympic Games. My mother had once talked about having seen the legendary skater, Sonja Henie on ice. I don’t recall if Mother saw the skater in one of her movies, but I do recall Mother saying how wonderful it would be to do that.
Even then, it didn’t register on my young mind that people from all the countries in the world could gather in one place to compete. I thought that competitions like that only took place in Europe.
Then a few years later when I was in my teens, I found out that kids from the United States could compete.
That coincided with the same time I broke my ankle for the second injury in a year, and a doctor prescribed skating as a form of therapy to build strength.
A neighbor mad an ice rink in his back yard so I could skate every day. (Winter in Michigan after all.) That whole winter I fantasized that perhaps I could practice and become good enough to join the United States figure skating team.
Thinking back about that time, I have to chuckle at how naïve I was. Don’t get me wrong. I was a pretty decent figure skater for out on a neighborhood pond, but certainly not for an Olympic rink.
But it’s just that kind of dream that drives a young athlete to train for years and years for a chance to go for the gold. And even though I won’t be watching much of the Olympic sports this year – since watching television often causes flares of TN pain – the part of me that’s cheered athletes on for years and years will continue to do so.
Check out the official site for the Paris Olympics to keep up with events and related news.
Did you ever wish you could compete at the Olympics?
That’s all from me for today folks. I do hope your week starts off well, and you can find time to sneak a peek at the Olympic events. Be safe. Be happy.