OLYMPICS!!!!!!!

I am moved beyond measure by the Olympics. No matter how much the cynics pan it as another commercial venue masquerading behind world unity; I'm still a sucker for the Olympic dream! One of the reasons I haven’t been very faithful about blogging is because I’m GLUED to the TV for the next two weeks. I’ve been watching every single event, and feel like I have an intimately personal relationship with every single athlete. (Obsessed? You decide).

I love watching the Opening Ceremonies. No one's lost yet; everyone's just thrilled about a free trip to China and filled with optimistic expectations of medals. I love seeing the absolute joy on those young, excited faces as they pile into the stadium. I get teary-eyed when I see all the athletes march in from all those little tiny countries like Micronesia or East Timor. And I love to see other countries, despite whatever global politics rule the day, cheer for the USA.

A few Olympic thoughts:

1) I get so emotional every time they do a vignette on an individual athlete. (I was just now in tears over the gymnast Shawn Johnson, and yesterday over Yang Wei). The realization of their aspirations is such the embodiment of the American Dream. Small town boy/girl (just like you or me), works hard day and night and eventually becomes world icon and national hero. There’s something so genuine and heartening about it.

2) What would it actually take to have bodies like these athletes? Not just a good-looking body (because goodness knows, sometimes the girls’ look a bit over-butch), but a body whose every muscle, every sinew is at maximum performance, and cultivated to function in the most efficient way possible. What would your diet REALLY be like? What kind of physical activity is really required to maintain such amazingly perfect form? This occupies my thoughts more than you’d think.

3)I want my boys to be athletic. Not because I expect them to get anywhere NEAR Olympic level, because honestly I think that kind of lifestyle would be nerve-wracking and extremely hard to maintain. But just so that they’ll have joy in using their bodies in an active way. And also because I’m so miserably unathletic that it’s embarrassing, and yes, maybe I’d like to live through them a little bit. But hey, if they end up uninterested or uncoordinated and instead become amazing chess-players of say, botanists, I’ll still be thrilled. I just feel as if I’ve missed out on that part of life…the part where exercise isn’t work, but recreation and enjoyment.

4)Tiny crush on Michael Phelps. Am I a tad old to have innocent crushes on 23 year old Olympians? Most definitely. But I can’t help it. He’s so goofy and awkward and yet so amazingly talented! 8 gold medals? Get out of town! So yes, tiny crush…but don’t tell Steven.