Ever since I was little, watching the Olympics was always a magical experience.
There's something about the Olympics that makes it feel like nothing else matters. Watching a first time Olympian win or a veteran Olympian win never gets old. Watching as tears roll down their face or have big gummy smiles on as their country's anthem place gives me butterflies every-time. I also feel that the Olympics give you a sense of hope.
An example of the hope that Olympic Games provide is of the 1980 Hockey Game which was the United States of America vs. Russia.
As stupid as it sounds, this game was like a microcosm of what was going on in the world. Many people saw this as a school yard version of the Cold War and that if the Americans won, it would be a victory for the whole country. It was a representation that Americans are still winners and that we should continue to have hope in ourselves and our country. It sounds stupid on paper, but anyone that was alive during that time will tell you how much that game meant and how hope blossomed in every American's heart.
I'm also a huge sports fan and love how sports bring people together.
It's a perfect example of how you might not know people, but when you're cheering for the same team, it doesn't matter. For however long the game is, you're all on the same team. At the Olympics, people you never met before will be cheering alongside you just because your wearing red, white, and blue. For that moment in time, you're all on America's team.
I was raised wearing red, white, and blue.
My mom was a first generation American whose family instantly became patriotic and proud to be an American. It only seemed natural because it was America who welcomed them into their arms. Getting to wear my patriotic gear as I cheer on fellow Americans is just another reason why I love the Olympics. Getting to see representations of what being an American means that we are a country filled with people that don't look the same but can come together. If you're wearing our nation's flag, then you share at least one thing in that you're representing America and have chosen to do so in front of the whole world.
