You may or may not have noticed that the 2012 Olympics is taking place in London at the moment. John and I are keen sports fans and have been watching as much of the Games as possible, even to the extent of taking my smartphone to a concert in our local castle last night and checking the tennis results while the band was warming up. Such dedication, I hear you say! Those of us who are over 60 may not be as athletic as we once were, but we can still enjoy watching sport and it may inspire us to great things in the Race for Life that takes place in November.
There are many good things about the Olympics and here are just a few of them:
- watching personal striving by all the competitors to do their best and admiring their achievements, whether it is an Olympic medal or a new personal best;
- team spirit, especially in those events when one member of the team is being supported by the others to win a gold medal while their own reward is only the satisfaction if they succeed;
- patriotism (in a good way). My fellow countrymen seem so proud to be British, which in itself isn't a very British characteristic;
- showcasing the host nation's sights (London and the other venues have been looking amazing);
- inspiration for future generations (I loved the fact that seven promising young athletes lit the Olympic cauldron rather than a "big" name);
- friendships being forged between the different nations. If we can unite in sport, maybe we can learn to understand each other, to appreciate our differences and respect all the world's citizens.
