It's been utterly impossible to avoid the Olympics, as you might expect. I've been in so many situations where it's just on in the background, that I must admit I have seen some events. I've grown comfortable with it and feel that I have not violated the terms of my self imposed sabbatical in that I am still not following any sports. I have not yet turned on the TV in order to see anything in particular. In fact, I've really just joined family members who were already watching. So sue me!
Even if I hadn't seen a frame of real action, the news is crawling with spoilers and every show seems to be coming to us live from Sochi. Add to that the omniscience of social media, and I easily end up pretty aware of the major story lines of these winter games. It's been nice to simply catch whatever results happen across my plane of vision and not to get too caught up in any particular tournament. In fact, from a fans perspective, I think it's a good representation of the Olympic Creed, which is all about promoting participation over simply winning and losing.
The opening ceremonies found me at an international potluck party hosted by some good friends (everyone had to claim a country to bring a dish from). There were lots of kids there, and to my surprise they were all very focused on the event. I remember the Olympics being among my earliest first hand experiences with the larger world. It was fun to start to think about my country not just as the way things are, but as a single perspective in a global community. I had assumed that the internet had lessened the value the Olympics had in fostering that kind of world view, but it seems I was mistaken. I'm hardly ever glad to be wrong, but this time I really enjoyed it.
As a kid, I think the most remarkable lesson I took away from the ancient Olympics was the idea of the Olympic Truce. I couldn't get over the idea that armies would literally take a break from war during the games to allow athletes to compete, and citizens to attend. In 1994, the idea of the Olympic Truce was revived by the IOC and in the years since it has actually had an impact in several military conflicts. This is a big idea.
Of course, despite the power of the Olympic ideal, familiar struggles have flared up in Kiev and Venezuela during these games. News reports are grim, especially from Kiev, where the violence has been intense and fierce. It's the kind of story that has been around at least as long as the Olympics, only with more frequency. It's hard to abide the attention paid to simple games when so much is at stake for so many people. Then again, a close look at the Olympic Creed, which dates back to 1908, shows it has a lot in common with the seeds of revolution. Here it is:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
If competition and revolution are so closely related, maybe it's not a great idea to ignore either one.
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