Exactly one month from today one of the events I look most forward to begins: the Olympics. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved the Olympics. It is pretty much the only sporting event that I look forward to. I will even watch the USA compete in the sports that I usually avoid like the plague, things like basketball and soccer. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about the Olympics that just gets me excited.
I am not exactly what you could call a patriotic person, but when the Olympics come around it awakens something inside of me and I become extraordinarily patriotic. I can remember sitting in front of the television with my mom and sister every four years cheering for those representing our country. Whenever we would win a gold medal my mother would make us all stand up and place our hands over our hearts for the national anthem. My sister and I would grumble and groan, but we would always do it and, truth be told, we didn’t mind.
When I grew up and moved out on my own I carried the passion for the Olympics that my mother had instilled in me. I have very vivid memories of the 2004 summer games. That was the year that Florida was accosted by hurricane after hurricane (kind of like what is happening again this summer). During the two weeks of the games we were hit by yet another storm and the apartment complex I lived in spent several days with a brown out. But that did not keep me from enjoying the games. I sat on the floor in front of the TV with all the lights off and about five fans blowing on me so that I could watch the Hamm twins lead our male gymnastics team to the medal stand.
Then there were the 2008 summer games. That was the year of Michael Phelps. I remember sitting by myself in my house with my eyes glued to the television screen. I was completely alone, but you would have thought I was in the middle of a packed out stadium the way I was jumping up and down cheering him on. When he won that final gold medal by however many hundreths of a second I was screaming at the top of my lungs, jumping and clapping. It’s still strange for me to think about. Me, the girl who hates sports, cheering like a crazy person for a sporting event. I instantly called my mother and we squealed into the phone at each other. And I may have stood up during the national anthem and placed my hand over my heart.
With only one month to go the excitement is mounting. I can’t wait to watch the games this year. And the best part is, I am going to get to watch them with my mother again for the first time in 12 years. Instead of calling her 5 million times I will be sitting right next to her. SQUEEEEEE!! I’m so excited! I can already hear the Olympic anthem playing in my mind…
What about you? Do you enjoy watching the Olympics or is it something you are forced to endure for two weeks every four years? What are the events you look most forward to? Let me know in the comments.
