Life is somewhat cyclical in the sense that children become their parents.
I watched some of the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics last night and today I caught some speed skating, snowboarding and women's hockey. I particularly enjoyed the USA women's hockey team defeating the Finnish team at 3 to 1.
In my earlier years I use to watch my father watch sporting events on television that would bore me to tears. It would be basketball, football, track, golf and the Olympic games. I would always find something to do like go outside or curl up with a book or magazine and escape the sound of the amped up television. I could never understand my father's fascination with those sporting events.
Last evening I was watching the broadcast of the opening ceremonies and at a certain point Bob Costas began to interview President Obama. Obligatory remarks were made about the athletic prowess of the competitors but soon it was all politics and all about me. I became incensed.
I wanted to see the ceremonies and the parade of athletes. I muted the television and after surfing the web for a while I returned to a very entertaining event. I do admit at times it was boring but interesting nonetheless.
This evening after viewing some events Bob Costas was in studio talking with Chris Collinsworth and an Olympic athlete. The discussion centered on the opening ceremonies and the excitement that participants were feeling about being involved in a worldwide production. It went well for a while and then Costas began to editorialize and Collinsworth verbally slammed him down.
I finally realized what my father saw in these competitions. He saw himself, he saw his children, he saw his grandchildren. The games are about THEM.
It should not be about politicians. It should not be about ideologies. It should not be about talking heads. It is about THEM.
It has taken me over forty years to finally understand the lesson my father was trying to teach me.
Thanks Dad, I finally got it.
