There's Nothing Like Watching the Olympics to Make Me Remember My Failures.
I am a devout follower of the Olympic Games. Always have been, since I was just a little girl.
I remember being six years old and my mom calling me in to watch the opening ceremonies for the summer Olympics in Spain. I remember being eight years old and my mom calling me in to watch those beautiful, graceful figure skaters glide around the ice in the 1994 winter Olympics, and witnessing the whole mess between Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. I can vividly recall cheering on the USA volleyball team from the locker room with my own Freshman volleyball team, thinking, "I will never have a desire to go that far with this horrendous sport, where girls slap each others' bums, and all my teammates are so vicious to me." But I still loved watching it. I cheered on the "Thorpedo" in Sydney, thinking that Australian men were amazingly intriguing. And oh, how I cheered on those Hamm twins [oh, mercy, those Hamm twins!] take the world by surprise. I watched that young little figure skater--what was her name? Oh yeah, Sasha Cohen--surpass like a million world records at the age of 14, and thinking, "If only I lived in a place that actually created ice, I too, could have been a figure skating prodigy."
So many dreams crushed, watching the Olympics throughout my lifetime. And yet, I really, really enjoy watching the Olympics. I find myself staying up later than normal, convincing myself to watch "just one more event." I don't want to sleep, because I don't want to miss a single life-changing moment in history (that's a value my mom instilled in me--she was always making me stay up late for the State of the Union address, or wake up early to watch the crumbling of the World Trade Center [and now I'm so glad she did]).
Poor Kyle thinks it's all ridiculous, of course. The beauty of this year's Opening Ceremony was totally lost on him. (He's virtually culture-less, but I sure love him.) He mocked all the red fireworks China ignited, noting that they're probably trying to brainwash the world into accepting Communism, sending all these red "subliminal messages."
In his defense, he's stayed with me in the dungeon basement for four hours already, and with Kyle Shewfelt's events two hours away, it looks like we're in this for a bit longer yet.
Do you care about the games? What spectacular moments in Olympic history do you recall witnessing? I'm abnormally obsessed with knowing what people have seen in their lifetimes. Please, pipe in!
Labels: what I'm about
posted by Camille @ 11:14 PM
21 Comments:
I'm pretty sure China outdid everything from the past with this opening ceremony. It was SO incredible.
Not being much of a sports watcher, i don't remember many big olympic moments, other than the controversial news pieces, like you've mentioned.
I do enjoy the regalia of it all, and it's nice to see people getting along some, in the spirit of sport.
The Chinese are a lovely people, having made my RED! DELL on which i now type, not yet a few months ago. And the buildings they have put up for their hosting are just plain beautiful. I'll need to catch some screen time just to appreciate the lovely architecture.
My most memorable brush personally with the world event was being in Calgary, on an internship at the Colonel Belcher Rehabilitation Hospital, during the '88 winter games, not really seeing much on tv, having limited access in nurse's residence, but i will remember always all the new people in town, the excitement on their faces, and how busy/packed the LRT was from res to work. Weather was nice, Olympic Plaza was visited a few times, but it was no China. Such a lovely people, and frankly, Tibet is no more my business than Iraq.
I admire your interest in these sporting events, reminds me of a figure skating obsessed friend, long ago passed on, who i miss dearly. Passion for these and other things is always an inspiration for my backwater adleminded brain. If so inclined, please keep us in the games watching loop...i'll be checking out the beautiful venues.
And fireworks are always fun, having a few Chinese firecrackers and bottle rockets in my posession.
Not ashamed really, am i, of blowing up frogs, with firecrackers,in the sandbox, when young, with dear brothers Randy and David, but we were a wonky lot.
I've enjoyed this post of yours, you are fortunate for your interest in these events, your mom did you well. Aren't they great, our dear moms? Where would we be without them??
More lovely pictures of venues would be, well, lovely. The forward of pics Granny Naylor sent me were all artist renditions, but they look much better in real time. LOVE the birdsnest, what a sight that topping of light made.
Merci, mon deau.
Can't talk long, it's a commercial. I L-O-V-E the Olympics. I was up at 5 this morning watching. I'll watch far too much in the coming weeks.
I love the olympics too! I remember all the things you mentioned, and even the earlier days of marylou rhetton. i wished i could be a world class gymnast. or swimmer, or weight lifter, or skater...anything. they are so exciting! i enjoyed the red fire works too, but i have a new love of the chinese after last week. yea for the olympics!
yeah, raygon, you've reminded me of marylou. thank you. she's quite the firestorm. and always with that super smile. perky perky.
this olympic talk is already such fun.
the first pic link is superb.
and the 565 comments, a treat in thought. check it if you have the time.
one world, peace and love.
i LOVED the opening ceremony- just beautiful. the olympics make me so happy:) gorgeous pictures, by the way
p.s. it's nice having the music here
YAAAAAAAAAY! music is back. loving the first piece, so far.
love you, girl
though as soon as i saw Yael come back, i went straight there.
A questioning; though i would not be so coarse as to inquire publicly into your relationship with relations, could you say something about Camille and Linda Rae?
I've only met one of you, but you seem to have a similar slant..in certain ways. Since my first exposure to you, i've thought thee and she might get along famously.
Oh Camille,
I am proud of you and ashamed of myself! I meant to watch the Olympics last night but I was paralyzed in pin from my horrific week of moving 99 boxes from Lincoln to Adams. I am a hard-working woman, of which you know I find pride in doing. HOWEVER...I can NOT work physically hard anymore. I am in intense PAIN from moving schools. When I came home last night all I could do was hobble to bed and I didn't even care to eat, drink, or watch anything.
I am sorry now. The opening ceremony of the Olympics are to by savored like a good steak or a hot fudge sundae. I am embarassed to say that your one and only sibling did NOT choose to watch it either. I am desperately trying to find someone who taped the procedeings who will let me watch it.
I heard that team USA did us proud and I especially love watching those fine champions who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much march into the stadium.
Good on you, for watching.
About your working....I am immenesly proud of you. Good hard work is the best thing a soul can do. A certain pride goes with a job that is well done. You keep doing what you can to be the woman that you are destined to become. I am very proud to be your mom.
MAKE it a great day.
Love, MAMAAMMAAMMA
P.S. I could surely use your help in my room. If you want to come down I'll give you a buddy pass if you'll help get me organized.
We have Mr. P coming in 10 minutes. I love him so very much.
Love,
Ma
0.
Watching the olympics reminds me of when Erik launched his own campaign to go to the olympics. Hmmm... maybe I should blog about that...
do tell...who will you be cheering on this year? canda or us?
i'm pretty sure the olympics are the most emo thing i've ever checked. (and not the tight jeans, bangs swept across the face kind of emo).
and the actual events are almost as emo as VISA's go world commercials. Derek Redmond's dad helping him across the finish line??? are you kidding me? i'm choking up just thinking about it.
I just wanted to add that watching the opening ceremonies made me vow to compete in 2012. I'm thinking archery. And I'm gonna start practicing tomorrow. Seriously.
You have inspired me.
I don't know about anybody else, but watching how talented, technological, and how many freaking people are in China scares me a wee bit. Imagine when those Chinese decide to use the power they are obviously capable of and take over the world. WWIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WWIII, on Wii.
i'm taking over the world, a wee bit, this week. (my everything built in china friends get next week).
if you say it with a scottsh accent, it sounds like a wheee!, bit.
very festive.
I'm a huge summer olympics fan myself, but Jason is more a winter olympics fan. I love the beach volleyball, the gymnastics, the swimming...all of it is so fun to watch!
I would have to say one of the memories that stands out the most to me was when diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the diving platform in the Seoul Olympics back in 1988. Or how about when Kerri Strug competed on the vault with an injured ankle and her coach Karolyi had to carry her off? That was back in the Atlanta games in 1996.
And yes, the opening ceremonies were the most fantastic ever!! My mouth was hanging open in awe the entire time!
I haven't watched a minute of the Olympics. I suspect I am still burnt out from 2002.
However, I heartily approve of you putting the Bugler's Dream on your music thingy. I dig Olympic Fanfares.
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