London 2012

I'm really not all that into sports.  Jeff enjoys watching football- I don't understand how football works with all the rules and such.  Jeff enjoys racing- the car kind of racing.  I really don't get that.  It's not a sport, in my opinion, and it's just driving around and around and the one who manages their vehicle the best wins.  Jeff enjoys basketball.  I don't mind basketball.

But sports aren't a focal point in our home.  We don't stop what we are doing to focus on some event on TV, we don't watch SportsCenter or anything like that.

Until now.

It's that special time...  The Olympics.  London 2012.  Have you been watching?  I recorded the Opening Ceremony so the kids could see it.  Anytime we turn on the TV, we check for the Olympic coverage first.  Even if we watch something else, we flip to the Olympics to see what's going on.

What makes the Olympics so special for me?

The first thing is the history.  I'm not an expert or even a buff.  I just love knowing that these Games have such a rich and long history.  The bravada of Ancient Greece brought to celebration in 1896 by a Frenchman who wanted France to get more excited about sports... and the longevity of the Games since that time.  Plus, the historical impact of things that have happened during the Games is exciting, too.  Countries have boycotted the Games as a political statement.  The Games have been postponed or cancelled due to War.  Terrorists have used the Games as a stage for their message.  Social issues have sent messages in regards to gender equality, racial equality, and sexuality equality.  And I love that history is made at the Games- be it because this is the first year that every participating country has included women or because the US has more women than men competing.

I love the culture of the Games.  I love the Parade of Nations and seeing so many places I've never heard of and so many different faces.  And every face has something in common- the hope and excitement of being there.  The potential and possibility of the events to come.

I love the stories of the athletes- an investment banker who didn't know she was good at Cycling until a friend got her started and she was suddenly winning races, the kid from the Bronx with parents who have sacrificed to get him into gymnastics because it was his passion and now he works to pay them back and take care of his family.

I love the diversity of the events.  Ping pong, fencing, equestrian events, beach volleyball, and the always popular swimming and gymnastics.  I'll be honest- I don't care much about basketball or tennis.  But I love seeing all different events and I love that my kids are enjoying seeing different things, too.  Zach will tell me, "I don't wanna do volleyball."  So I change the channel to a different Olympics coverage and there's boxing... and he loves it!  I had set out bedroom TV on the Olympics coverage yesterday evening while we made dinner so I could pop back and check on it from time to time.  I popped back and there's Zach, totally into the women's basketball event and wanting to know if we are cheering for the blue or the white outfits.

Are you enjoying the Olympics this year?  Finding any inspirational stories to share?