Everyday Canvas

The Olympics

Prompt: The 2018 Winter Olympics are here! Are you watching? Do you have any favorite events? Do you think the Olympics still have any cultural relevancy in this day and age?

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Well, if I say I’m watching it will be a lie, and if I say I am not watching, that, too, will be a lie. The situation, as it stands, is this. My husband is watching them and the TV is on all the time. I am not a TV fan at all, although there are four TVs in the house. They all serve dear hubby, and the internet, Kindles, and books serve me.

Since hubby and I want to sit together in the same room, I brought my laptop and a couple of bookshelves to a corner, as he brought his laptop to another place in the den. Diagonally across, I have the full view of the TV, which necessitates earplugs sometimes, so I can read and write.

I guess all events are good, but I don’t have a favorite. Still, I stopped to watch some of the couples’ ice-dancing and I screamed my head off when the Japanese girl fell. Then, today, I caught some of the ski race, which the Norwegians won all three places.

As to the cultural relevancy of Olympics, I think yes. That I semi-watch in my haphazard fashion doesn’t mean that I don’t approve of the Olympics. Any event--excluding world wars--that can bring people of this crazy planet together is great and helpful to world peace.

When I think about it, some of the countries competing in the Olympics may have disputes ideologically, militarily, socially, and economically. Yet, they stand on the same stage and compete. The numbers of athletes competing can be in the thousands, in addition to the numbers of people training and taking care of them, plus the people in the audience and those who are watching. It means, at least, for this reason, the countries and people of the world agree to watch the same thing and learn about one another, instead of arguing their differences.