Games lubricate the body and the mind.
~ Benjamin Franklin
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There is a lot of stuff about the Olympics now. I believe that to be mainly because the Olympics are happening right now. And - for whatever reason - we talk more about things when they are happening than when they aren't.
There is a lot about human - particuarly LGBTQ - rights issues. There is a lot about the accommodations and the facilities and the safety of some of the event sites and the security of the Olympics as a whole.
And as they unfold, there will be the human interest stories. Either we love them or else the media loves giving them to us. I guess the events can't stand alone with a sense of care or knowledge about the athletes. Which is kind of nice. It would be nice if we exercised that in our daily lives. That we took time to learn others' stories before cheering for or against them. Or working with or against them. Or encouraging (or not) them.
But we all know that this doesn't start with the Olympics. It starts a long time BEFORE the Olympics. We start to build energy around certain athletes. How "we" choose whom to care about and cheer for and learn about, I'm not sure. It's a mystery to me. But we are selective.
The other day Leslie and I were discussing this. Well, it was probably actually a while ago, since it was about the Olympic trials.
Leslie: There is a 50 year old woman at the Olympic speed skating trials.
Me: Trials? She won't make it.
Leslie: But still! I mean... Can you imagine me doing something at the Olympics?
(pause. long pause, actually)
Me: Maybe selling programs.
Thankfully, Leslie is very patient with me.
