Long Weekend Ahead

 I have finished my classes for the week and tomorrow starts a 4-day weekend.  The Opening Ceremony for the Olympics will be on Friday at 8:00 pm here.  I kind of feel bad for Japan with these Games.  The past few Olympics have been less than impressive for me.  I think viewership is declining (at least in the US), and it is known that hosting an Olympic Games puts tremendous strain on a city's economy and resources.  This is somewhat made up for by the tourism and publicity, but even in the best of times the Games lead to lost money for the host.  And now, covid.

I think many Japanese people would say the government has not done the best job in handling things.  The covid precautions are falling apart already.  The venues have the usual construction and pollution problems.  There has been turn-over in leadership.  It's been a bit of a mess.

At the same time, I always feel a tug in my gut when thinking about the Olympics.  As a child, and even up through high school and college, I loved the chance to watch different sports.  A vivid memory I have is my family at my grandparents' house during the Los Angeles games of 1984.  Those are the first ones I remember.  Particularly Carl Lewis's performance in track and field.  I don't recall Mary Lou Retton's performance, but I know it was significant.  It was after this that so many video games were made to let you capture the feeling at home.  I played Summer Games on our Commodore64 for hours.

Going through the list of cities where the Summer and Winter Games have been held is like a trip in a time machine.  I recall bits and pieces of the places I've lived and the people I interacted with.

I also think about the coverage.  True, American television focuses heavily on American athletes and the sports where we are expected to do well.  That narrow view causes some problems with how we understand our place in the world.  At the same time, this segment from Mary Carillo (NBC) during the Athens Games in 2004 is part of what I love.

I think there is a lot of cynicism regarding the Olympics.  Most of it is probably warranted.  However, when I think of Usain Bolt, the man who might be at the very edge of how fast human bodies can run, bumping fists with the volunteer behind his blocks I find it difficult to think the whole thing is bad.  It's about people treating each other with respect and appreciating the abilities.  So, that's what I'll choose to focus on during these Olympic Games.