I LOVE WATCHING THESE AMAZING ATHLETES. I WISH I COULD SPEND ONE DAY IN THEIR SHOES! I WOULD LOVE TO FEEL WHAT IT IS LIKE TO TRAIN HARD . . . TO TAKE MYSELF TO MY MOST PHYSICAL CAPACITY . . . FEEL THE WIN . . . FEEL THE LOSS. BY THE TIME THESE ATHLETES ARE QUALIFIED TO BE IN THE OLYMPICS THEY HAVE HAD A WHOLE LIFE OF DEDICATION TO THEIR SPORT. EVEN THE FIFTEEN YEAR OLD OLYMPIAN HAS KNOWN THE SAME KIND OF DEDICATION AS THE 40 YEAR OLD OLYMPIAN.
I LOVE TO ADMIRE THE ATHLETE’S LOOK OF DETERMINATION; THEIR FIT BODIES; THE CONCENTRATION THEY EMIT AND THE ELEGANCE AND GRACE OF EACH SPORT. THEIR BODIES ARE TRULY A TRIBUTE TO HUMAN KIND. LET’S REMEMBER THE GREEKS WHO STROVE FOR PERFECTION IN THE HUMAN FORM. THEY USED ATHLETES AS MODELS. FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO APPRECIATES BEAUTIFUL DESIGN AND FASHION, I ADORE THEIR HI-TECH, SLICK SPORT SUITS AND THE AERODYNAMIC EYE PROTECTION THEY WEAR.
I HAVE SEEN TINY WOMEN LIKE THE GOLD MEDAL WINNING AND PETITE JAPANESE 500 METER SPEED SKATER WHO JUST KILLED IT WITH HER FIERCENESS ON THE ICE. I SAW THE AMERICAN BOBSLED TEAM WALK AWAY UNSCATHED AFTER THEIR CART TILTED AT THE SPEED OF 80 MPH! WHEN WE SAW THEM CRASH, THE WHOLE WORLD HELD THEIR BREATH UNTIL THEY STOOD UP LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. BUT THE TEAM THAT WON MY HEART WAS THE JAMAICAN BOBSLED TEAM. YOU READ IT WELL: JAMAICA !!!!!!!! I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THEIR STORY. THEY HAD THE DRIVE, TENACITY, FAITH AND CREATIVITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE SPORT EVEN WITHOUT THE RIGHT FACILITY OR EQUIPMENT!
I ALSO FIND AMUSING THAT REGARDLESS OF WHICH COUNTRY, GENDER OR SPORT, ALL THE ATHLETES LOOK LIKE A MESS WHEN THEY REMOVE THEIR HI-TECH HEAD GEAR. THEY ARE ALL SWEATY AND THEIR HAIR IS A MESS AND THEY ARE ALL WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THEIR HAIR LOOKS LIKE! LOL! OF COURSE, THEY WERE JUST PUTTING 200% OF THEMSELVES INTO THEIR SPORT!! (MAYBE THE FIGURE SKATERS STILL LOOK FINE). YOU CAN SEE THEM ALL PREOCCUPIED WITH FIXING THEIR HAIR EVEN IF THEY JUST WON A GOLD MEDAL – OR LOST ONE – THEY ARE ALL WORRIED ABOUT THEIR HAIR DOS!!
BUT IN THIS VERY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE WORLD, WE HAVE HAD EXTREMELY SAD NEWS. THE VIOLENCE HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS, INNOCENT KIDS BEING GUNNED DOWN. IT’S UNBEARABLE. THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATE RECORDED A TOTAL OF $11.7 BILLION EARNED LAST YEAR WITH A $993 MILLION PROFIT! LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES WISH THAT THIS MONEY WAS INVESTED IN SPORTS AND EDUCATION FOR OUR YOUTH. I MUST SAY THAT I AM BIASED ABOUT THIS SUBJECT SINCE I HAVE MY NIECES IN COLLEGE AND MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS. I’M JUST LIKE YOU. I WANT MY CHILDREN TO BE SAFE AND I WANT THEM TO GET THE BEST EDUCATION.
RIGHT NOW THERE IS A TERRIBLE ENVIRONMENT OF FEAR. THE KIDS ARE FEARFUL GOING TO SCHOOL. THE PARENTS FEAR SENDING THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL. JUST IN NEW MEXICO SEVERAL SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THREATS AND EVERYONE IS TERRIFIED.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I WAS COMING BACK FROM A BUSINESS TRIP AND AS WE WERE IN LINE TO BOARD THE PLANE, I HAD A QUICK GLIMPSE OF THE NEWS ON THE TELEVISION. THEY WERE BROADCASTING A THREAT THAT WAS OCCURRING IN ONE OF THE UNIVERSITIES IN FLORIDA. MY HEART STOPPED SINCE MY NIECE IS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA! BUT I WAS BEING PUSHED ALONG TO BOARD THE FLIGHT. THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FLIGHT THE WORST THOUGHTS CAME THROUGH MY MIND. IT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY BEFORE WE FINALLY LANDED AND FOUND OUT SHE WAS NOT IN THAT PARTICULAR UNIVERSITY.
WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS NEW REALITY…
I KNOW IT IS TOO LATE FOR ME TO LEARN HOW TO BE A FIGURE SKATER OR A SPEED SKATER, BOBSLEDDER OR SLALOM SKIER. IN THE MEANTIME, I WILL CONTINUE TO ADMIRE THEM AND WONDER WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO BE IN THEIR SHOES. THEY MIGHT BE WONDERING WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HAVE SUCH AN AMAZING SHOE CLOSET AT THEIR FINGERTIPS!!
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! GUADA755@GMAIL.COM