BEDIA #2 The Olympics

Wouldn't you know it: Day Two of a month-long personal challenge and I have a day where I just do not feel like writing a post of any sort. I'm going to anyway. Take that, Stupid Feelings of Not Wanting to Write.

So, the Olympics have been running for almost a week now. I love watching the Olympics. It brings out all my feelings of patriotism and pride in my country. 

I remember when I was a kid that I hated when the Olympic year came around. It was a big year. Leap Year. Winter and Summer Olympics. Presidential Election. Lots of stuff happening. The Olympics irritated me, even though we watched the events as a family. I didn't like the Olympics because they messed with my cartoon viewing schedule. Although it seems alien now, back then each channel had its own selection of morning and afternoon cartoons. The Olympics happening threw off my viewing schedule. 

In 1996 I was serving a mission for my church in Peru. I was about halfway through my first month when the Summer Olympics started. I was still adjusting to the food I was eating and had spent the entire day trying to convince my stomach to accept some broth. When the evening arrived, I felt like I was going to vomit. I managed to communicate this to my companion, who spoke no English, so he said we could sit in a church member's house for a little bit until I felt better. This church member wanted to make us feel at home, so (He? She? I can't remember. I'll stick with he.) he rolled out his TV and turned on the Opening Ceremonies, because this was something happening in my home country. It was an amazing opening. It was the first chance that I (and the world) got to hear John Williams' amazing "Summon the Heroes." It was an achingly beautiful song that made me cry. It's still one of my favorite instrumental pieces. About forty five minutes in, I ran downstairs to the toilet and puked my guts out. I felt two hundred times better after that, so my companion and I left and went to fulfill some appointments we had. A couple weeks later I got to watch the Closing Ceremonies too, quite by chance. 

Four years ago  I had just moved from Mesa, AZ to Springville, UT. I didn't have a job, or an apartment, but my sister was kind enough to let me live with her family until I got things figured out. As I was job-searching, I had plenty of time on my hands to watch all the televised events with my sister and whoever else was at home. My sister and I would stay up until 3AM watching the late, late events from Beijing. It was a fun time that brought us closer together.

Now I'm searching for a job again and enjoying the London Games. It has been a lot of fun and very emotional for me. The kid I was way back when would never have believed that he would enjoy the Olympics as much as I do now.