Olympics

I love the Olympics. Specifically I love the camaraderie, and the sportsmanship. You have people from all over the world cheering each other on. There are international handshakes and people from nations which are normally at odds pulling others up on the gold medal podium with them.

This is the kind of thing that gives me hope for humanity. I know that it's dramatized. And I know that a lot of these athletes already know each other. In some cases they play professionally on the same team or attend the same college. But then there are the countries who send 4 athletes or countries who have never won a medal before. Still the athletes attend and compete. Some of these people only attend one Olympics, returning to lives of obscurity with little or no fanfare. Others become national heroes. These people devote their entire lives for that one race, a single shot or a critical performance.

In ways I envy them because they have a focus that is unrivaled by nearly anything else. Many times they start training before they even go to school. This dedication is staggering. And their sacrifice is substantial. But, they know what they are going to do and they go for it. Succeed or fail, they go and compete.

While I love the USA and I mostly root for our teams, I can't help but smile when I witness the jubilation that comes with any athlete's win.

So, I'll continue to watch these games occurring in London. And I'll cheer on the athletes and applaud acts of sportsmanship and generosity. And my hope is for success for all those competing, whether that means a new personal record, a gold medal or simply competing for the first (and possibly last) time on the largest stage in the world.

Congratulations to all of you. You're an inspiration.