The Olympics

It began over two thousand years ago as a contest, one where a bunch of sweaty men got all greased up and tried to hug one another to death(wrestling), others threw their weapons off into the far distance for some unknown reason(javelin and discus), and still other men did their best to catch up to and pass the man in front of them(races).

What am I talking about? No, it is not some ancient homosexual rite of passage. I am, of course, talking about the Olympics. Over the centuries, nay, millenia that have passed since it's inception, the Olympics have changed in many ways.

Before it was about the one man who was the best. Now it's about the top three in each sport. Originally it was a contest to see who was the best in Greece. Now it's about who is the best in the world. Before there were but a handful of sports. Now there are so many that they have had to be split into both Summer and Winter games.

The original sports were all about strength, speed, and stamina. Some of the newer ones have those things as well. Others like skeet shooting are more about accuracy. Then there's gymnastics and diving that are more about perfection in motion and flawless form. Some highly competitive everyday sports such as hockey,basketball and soccer have been added. I think others such as snowboarding, even though there are points awarded, are more about just having a good time than anything else.

And then there's curling. WTF is that?!?! And why the heck is it an Olympic sport?

Anyways. For me the pomp and circumstance of the Olympics has always been kind of like the Thanksgiving Macy's day parade. It's like a cross between that and an extension of the United Nations. There's like this feeling in the air of holiday somehow mixed with diplomacy.

There's like this feeling of goodwill and betterment of our world. It shows how even though we are doing it in a competitive way, we can all work together and accomplish some amazing things.

And just like with the holidays it bothers me that this is something that only happens once in awhile. That feeling of togetherness and shared common decency should be an all the time thing. Not just once a couple of times every four years.

If the kind of effort that went into the Olympic Games went into the rest of life. Our world would be a massively better place to live.  How do you think your life would change if you put as much focus and energy into every aspect of your life as an Olympian does into their chosen sport? How would it differ if you were as intensely goal oriented?

What are we forgetting?

Holidays have always kind of amused me. I mean the term comes from a combination of the words holy and day. Here in America, generally, they are a day off of work and school. A lot of places are closed as a result of all the workers that are home for the day. But a holy day? I don't think so.
Well okay, maybe people do spend a little more time in church for holidays like Christmas or Easter.

There are actually specific religious ceremonies tied to those two. And a lot of people do observe them. But, what about President's Day or Valentine's Day or Memorial Day? I can see the desire to have a day dedicated to each one and even a reason for a day off to commemorate them, but I wouldn't exactly call them holy days.I suppose its easier to just lump them in with the other holy days instead of coming up with a different word for the other days where people get a day off.

And maybe it's just me, but I think some of our holidays should get a little more focus and some others I think should get a little less. Where I live sometimes Christmas decorations go up the day after Halloween. It's crazy. I mean Thanksgiving is still several weeks off and suddenly there are plastic santas and reindeer everywhere. What about Memorial Day? I was almost thirty before I even knew what it was. Quite often I get Memorial Day and Veteran's Day confused. Memorial Day started after the Civil war and commemorates all of the fallen soldiers who died while serving in the US armed forces. Veteran's Day honors people who have served in the armed services. So, technically one honors those that have died and the other honors those that are living. But where was that data when I was a kid? I always just knew it was a day off from school. It never occurred to me to ask or even to wonder what it was that we were supposed to be "celebrating".  I guess it does make sense that Christmas gets more airtime. We do get two weeks off from school for Christmas and New Year's combined. But what about the other holidays that only a single day are dedicated to? Shouldn't there be just as much time spent explaining exactly what it is that is being remembered for Veteran's Day as there is for Thanksgiving?

And I think Easter needs it's own category. I mean  on the one had there is the egg dying and hunting, also baskets filled with candy and other treats.  On Easter Sunday there are special church ceremonies having to do with Passover. One is about a rabbit that judges children to be good or bad and the other is about the death and subsequent resurrection of the son of the Christian god.What does one have to do with the other? Absolutely nothing. Well, there are actually some ties between the bunny symbol and Christianity but nothing that the average person knows about.

Try asking a five year old what Easter is about. I would bet money that nine out of ten children tell you about candy and don't mention Jesus at all. Am I going to spend a lot of time and energy shifting the amount of attention that Halloween and Christmas get in order for Easter and Memorial day to see more? No, not at this point. I am just observing and commenting.