Let me preface: I meant to post this on Saturday morning, but life kind of got in the way (which is seems to be doing a lot lately). My first (hardest) semester of my MBA program is winding down so I have been devoting extra time to my studies since finals are right around the corner. If you think about it, say a little prayer for me in that I may look to the Lord and trust in him to provide me with the knowledge and confidence I need to make it through the next 10 days.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but
only one gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize. Everyone who
competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will last
forever. Therefore I do not run like
someone aimlessly; I d o not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my
slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize.” -1 Corinthians
9:24-27
The Olympics are FINALLY here and Friday night while watching
the opening ceremonies I felt like a giddy child on Christmas morning. I am slightly more attached to this year’s
Olympic Games because they are being held in my absolute favorite city/second
home.
I have been fortunate enough to spend 11 summers of my life
exploring this city. You see, my Dad
teaches on a study abroad program through Baylor University and my mom, sister
and I have been able to accompany him .
I have enjoyed getting to know the city and there was a time when I
firmly believed I knew my way around London better than I knew my way around
Waco.
Having said this, I am currently sitting at my parent’s
house in Waco, housesitting for them while they enjoy another summer in the
wonderful city of London. I guess
surviving the first semester of my MBA program takes precedence. I am so jealous, but at the same time so happy
that my family has had the opportunity to experience all of the events leading
up to the Olympics these past few weeks.
I love the Olympics because for the next 17 days, every
country around the world will come together and unite. It seems as if every year, our world gets
more hateful and more selfish. It is a
sad sight to watch. But over these next two and a half weeks, we can forget the
turmoil that is going on around us and focus on one thing: athletic
competition. Determining the best of the
best. No questions asked. No politics. The best athletes will come out
victorious.
With all of that being said, let’s talk Opening
Ceremonies. While watching last night, I
was also following Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites just to get a
feel of what the general consensus of the Ceremony was. In order to really understand the London
Opening Ceremonies, you have to realize that London is a theatrical city. I believe that Danny Boyle played this to his
advantage when developing the Opening Ceremonies. For those who do not understand this part of
British culture, the Opening Ceremonies might have appeared odd, but I thought
it was an interesting and unique way to portray Britain’s history and
accomplishments.
Since I am currently working on my MBA in Healthcare
Administration, I found it very interesting that Boyle decided to highlight
Britain’s healthcare system during the performance. It is incredible that the British people
value their healthcare system as much as they do, and let me tell you, they
definitely have something to be proud of.
The Parade of Nations is my favorite part of the Opening
Ceremonies. Seeing the smiles of all of
the young athletes from around the world almost brings tears to my eyes. Talk about fulfilling a dream. This is also the part of the event where you
can really see all of the countries coming together. These athletes are showing the world what
true unity is about. If only the rest of
us could follow their example.
I also loved the Boyle’s decision to give a group of young,
unknown British athletes the opportunity to run the torch to its final resting
place. The moment where the legendary
Olympic athletes embraced the young athletes was memorable.
And last but not least, who can forget the closing
performance by Sir Paul McCartney singing “Come Together.” It seems that this is the underlying theme of
the 2012 Olympics and I like it. A
Lot.
So tell me, which sports are you most looking forward to
watching this year? For me it’s track
& field, women’s gymnastics, swimming and basketball. I’m still having a tough time believing all
of the hype surrounding this year’s men’s basketball team rivaling the 1992
Dream Team. Guess we will see.
