The Olympic Movement (to Tears)

We've been absorbed in the Olympic experience in our home this week. Checking schedules and watching Olympic Prime Time, which has provided fabulous coverage with the exception of coining the phrase 'ShuttleGate' how cleverly insipid *rolls eyes*

photo credit *National Post - Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

I cry a lot during the games; the wins, the losses, the pride on parent faces and fellow athletes as one of their own achieves personal perfection. Every minute of competition someone reaches a personal best, attains or surpasses their goals, or suffers the disappointment of falling shy of their dream. It's an emotionally overwhelming roller coaster.

If the performance of athletes fails to start the tears flowing there are always those Olympic Spirit moments to jerk a flood of emotion, not to mention those dammed commercials. Who creates these things? Did they build a room somewhere invite every hallmark writer still breathing into the space and say "here are the products, nobody leaves until we've come up with a punch to the gut concept for every single one." Man they get me every time. Well played marketing gurus, well played.

Then sometimes right in the middle of all of those tears, there are the things that make you say hmmm. (yes, sing it...I am) Things like the the word Velodrome that's Velo as in Velocity tell me this isn't every mother's nightmare and why the aerodynamic helmets? do they really make you go faster? and do they have to look so cool that my 10 year old wants one? Something else that sets me pondering is Shot-put. In a sea of people at the very peak of fitness I don't get this, isn't there some minimum attainment of fitness level? I know there must be. I couldn't 'put' a 'shot' farther than the end of my left foot but I caught a preview commercial for the upcoming event and couldn't help but think they were down a guy so yanked someone out of the pub on the way to the venue.

Other things that set me giggling and provide some cranial respite from the tears; Royal spotting, the fact that McDonald's is a sponsor of the world's greatest showcase of personal health and fitness, speed-walking...I'm going to argue that this is not really a sport, not if the world record can be challenged by any mother trying to get her potty training toddler to the restroom end of the mall in time.

Sometimes I catch a glimpse of some super fan or the Olympic Mascot for this years event and I turn to uncontrollable laughter. Then my son asks a question like "Mom, are you going to cry when I get my gold medal?" and I am right back in the land of tissue. Darn you dreamers darn you *shakes fist at sky*

Gratitude today for dreams, achievers, supporters, National pride, and kleenex (I might be looking for sponsorship for my athlete)

Enjoy Friday everyone, Hope Gratitude and Smiles are meant to be shared :)
Michelle