In Closing

Sigh.  Like a bear coming out of hibernation I stretch, and yawn, and look around myself in some slight confusion.  What did I do with my time before the big nap, the bear wonders.  It is so with the ending of the Olympics.  As in years past I know that I will slowly put together the life that I live in between Olympics, but that first Monday after always drags with a longing for the next one to hurry up and get here.

Clearly, I love the Olympics.  I pretty much love everything about it, except that it comes to an end.  I realize that if it never came to an end I would all eventually come to be bored by it, or perhaps even hate it, and long for something new and refreshing.  Knowing that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye though.  We're not just saying goodbye to amazing international sports entertainment, we are saying goodbye to the brief unification of our nation, and we are saying goodbye to friends: Shani Davis, Ted Ligety, Bode Miller, Apolo Anton Ohno, Chad Hedrick, Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Evan Lysacek, Lindsey Jacobelis, Shaun White, Steven Holcomb, Bill Demong, Jeret Peterson, Johnny Spillane, and all the others whose names, faces, and athletic prowess we have come to love and admire.  We are saying goodbye to the uplifting and inspiring stories, like that of Chris Del Bosco (granted, he was on the Canadian team, but he is from the United States, and really, being inspired is universal) and all that he has overcome.

But none of that really gets at the root of why I love the Olympics.  This is primarily why I love love love those two weeks every two years:
This is the first picture of us ever taken. Winter 2002










These were my roommates in college.  Stacy, [me], Kristy, and Jackie.  (Take a moment and look at how long my hair was.  Will it ever grow out again?) Ahem.  So, there we were, and all of us separate enjoyed the Olympics, but together and we were just nuts.  We made posters for the medal count, we made the Olympic rings out of Jello (NOT easy), we have t-shirts, and much much more.   We essentially eat, sleep, and well, everything the Olympics during those two weeks.  So, even though we are far apart now, when Olympics season comes back around it makes  me feel a little closer to these girls that I love so much.  It helps that I am sitting on the original couch, too.  Yes, Stacy, we still have it.  I fully intend on sending Hallie to college with it.  

And, just because they are so beautiful, here are two more pictures:
Spring Break, 2004, Panama City Beach
Craig's Room, Fall 2004
Ah, yes. Craig.  I haven't forgotten you.  Here we are in Craig's room because he had stolen my exit sign (hanging now in my laundry room).  So, we talked his roommate into letting us into his room and we tp'd it.  And took the exit sign back.  And that was pretty much the start of that.  Craig is an integral part of the Olympics mix.

So guys, we didn't make it to Vancouver this year, but maybe when all of my babies are grown up we could go to wherever they are holding it that year.  See, they really put up a fuss when they found out the deal was for them to sleep in the bathtub.

(If you're wondering why I chose these random, outdated photos, it's because literally, tragically, they are the only ones I have left in digital form of these guys.  All the others became digital dust when my computer decided to permanently log out.)

Comments

  1. AlisonMarch 1, 2010 at 7:39 PM

    remember when i freaked out about the Mogul skier?! In the winter 2002 Olympics? His name is...Jeremy Bloom, if i recall correctly. I still have the pic i got from a magazine in my Senior memories book. I am such a dork. I soooo remember those jello Olympic rings too. you guys were so crazy. and still are...:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mimi CollettMarch 1, 2010 at 9:59 PM

    I didn't know about the Olympic jell-o rings (or didn't remember), but I am suitably impressed either way. Wow!

    And sigh. I love the Olympics, too. My first memory of watching them is at our house in Muncie, where we just barely got local channels. We watched them, fuzzy and grainy as the pictures were, it didn't matter. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. nicoleMarch 1, 2010 at 10:10 PM

    i haven't watched much of the olympics this year, which is sad, no? i, too, am a huge fan though. there's something about all that excellence that just gets to you. i have had plans to do some olympics with the boys. i thought curling would be fun: i could send the boy sliding and nick could furiously sweep in front of him. we'll get video if we can.

    ReplyDelete
  4. RachelMarch 3, 2010 at 3:15 AM

    I also am a huge fan of the olympics, although, sadly, I kept on getting tired and falling asleep during figure skating. Why does it have to be last? I did wake up for Evan Lysecek.

    ReplyDelete

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