You might have surmised over the years that I’m not really a sports fan. If I come home from church and I feel sleepy, I eat lunch, turn on a baseball or football game and take a nap. However, when either the Winter or Summer Olympics comes around, I am glued to the TV as I have been this week. I watch NBC and they have a whole encourage of people doing interviews of the various participants. It is neat to know the process the athletes have gone through to get there. Some of them have very poignant stories.
As always, the opening ceremony was impressive; however, I almost didn’t make it to the end. They really are on the long side. The highlight of that was Queen Elizabeth’s sense of humor that allowed her to take part in the Bond helicopter scheme! I think it is too bad that a number of the athletes cannot be part of the parade of athletes because of activities they have the next day.
It has been fun watching Michael Phelps collect all his medals and watching his mother and sisters watch him collect all his medals. We’ll hear more and more of the beautiful young Missy Franklins (swimming) and Gabby Douglas’ (gymnastics) of the world. I found myself watching games I usually have no interest in at all like the Beach Volleyball and the gymnastics, runners, rowers, and kayakers. Sometimes I didn’t intend to watch a particular venue but if the TV was on when I went by or I was eating lunch, I found myself glued to whatever was on.
I was extremely impressed with the South African, Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee that ran track on carbon-fiber legs. His journey was interesting and his talent obvious. He also seemed like a just really likeable guy.
I really enjoyed the way the athletes usually shook hands or hugged the other members of the race or team or opponents afterwards. Perhaps they weren’t always sincere but it showed good faith anyway. Most of the time there appeared to be camaraderie of sorts between events and countries.
Then there are those who feel they failed if they got a bronze or a silver medal. Hey, wake up! Even if you get no medals, you are there in London having an amazing experience of which others only dream. One girl blubbered all over herself because she had failed her parents and a dozen others she named because she was getting the silver. In my opinion, she didn’t deserve any medal at all. Let someone have it who will appreciate it. I thought most of them were quite gracious and grateful and appreciated the fact that they at least made it to the Olympics. But, what do I know. God Bless until next week.
Minshall’s RVing Alaska and Canada is available thru Amazon.
At 45, Widow Minshall began 20 years of solo full-time RVing throughout Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Sharlene canoed the Yukon, mushed sled dogs, worked a dude ranch, visited Hudson Bay polar bears, and lived six months on a Mexican beach. She lectured at Life on Wheels, published six RV-related books and wrote a novel, “Winter in the Wilderness.”
Leave a Reply