Our world is often plagued with chaos; conflict only widens the divide between nations and people. When there seems to be so little hope, the Olympics come around to restore your faith. It is the faith that we can come together despite our differences and extend genuine kindness to one another.
Sure, the world was marginally less scary when I remember watching the 2004 games in Athens, but the excitement surrounding the event has ceased to change.
I have never been athletic, nor have I shown much interest in competition, but the Olympics elicit a sense of nationalism, as well as globalism. There is something that is extremely unifying about the tradition.
It is rather ironic, that a series of competitions can bring the world together, that individuals from around the globe can sit side by side in the crowd with nothing but pure respect. Just like any other viewer, obviously I root for my team, but it is the example with which the competitors carry themselves, that keeps me glued to the television.
During a 400 meter swim where the racers were within a fraction of a second from each other, they still crossed the lanes to pat the swimmers who placed on the back. That is the type of behavior that brings a tear to my eye. The comradery that the competitors share shows that they can move on despite winning or losing, and they appreciate their accomplishment of just making it to the Olympics. When a competitor gets injured, their fellow athletes show their support because they know how they would feel if they were in that position. Their understanding and compassion, for me, is quite honestly the spirit of the games.
It is difficult to not be swept up in the celebration of it all, and sure there is plenty of propaganda set in place to bring out those nostalgic emotions, but I will continue to be moved by this public display of unity.
I have witnessed plenty of things over the years, and lived through more than enough events to gauge the emotional climates of the world. Even with this consideration and knowledge I continue to remain unmoved on my summation of the Olympics as a global symbol of unity.
I don't know what the next years have in store; I cannot begin to determine how the next Olympic games will pan out or predict what events will take place in the next few years. Yet, it is the hope that these games inspire unity that allows us to expect the same in the years to follow.
If there is anything that is remembered in our history as a planet, I hope it is that the Olympics were a tradition that continued to unite the globe in more ways than one.
