Watching this year’s Winter Olympics has been a unique experience for me. It fully dawned this time that rather than a contest among nations, it’s hundreds of contests between worthy opponents who have spent most of their lives preparing for the moments in which we see them. Geographically speaking, the point is not which country won which medals, but which athletes earned the title of Best. I find that I see so much more if my eyes aren’t trained solely on the American athlete in the race. It’s very moving to see how each entrant has trained his or her body — every muscle, joint, and cell — to do the chosen feat. It’s poetry. And when the color and design of a flag take a back seat to individual effort, the games emerge as what they are: an incredible sampling of humanity, a dazzling parade of young faces, bodies, and spirits — people who will never again be quite this young and beautiful and perfect, but are just wise and reckless enough to squeeze the life out of Life as they streak past. God bless the world.
Playing for Time 
Feb 10, 2014 @ 02:01:06
Well said, Judy – totally agree, and while we Brits are temporarily basking in the success of our first ever medal on snow (Bronze in Women’s Snowboarding) I could only watch open mouthed at that fifteen year old Russian figure skater – absolute perfection!
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Feb 10, 2014 @ 08:18:09
You can’t take your eyes off her — she’s mesmerizing. It’s uplifting to watch everyone give the effort of a lifetime.
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