Tonight, we at Under Solen will join an estimated 1.4 billion people in tuning in to watch the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. While the Olympics often get a bad rap because of the media circus surrounding them and the city-wide disruption and massive public expenditure for the country hosting the games, the ideals behind them are good — and still alive and kicking.
Perhaps these are most apparent during the Opening Ceremony when we can view nearly every nation in the world represented in one place for this grand event. The tradition, the collaboration of nations and the journey of athletes from all corners of the globe make the true Olympic experience a hard one to beat.
So, we’ve come up with five reasons why we like the Olympics:
1. We live in a wonderful world — Athletes from nearly every nation in the world travel to one city to compete in this one event. It’s hard not to be moved and inspired by watching these people come together peacefully. We live in a wonderful world, with amazing people — it’s good to be reminded of that on occasion.
2. Patriotism (the good kind) — People cheer on their country. In most cases, people choose to not root on a specific team, but their nation.
3. Competition — We live in a competitive world. The Olympics remind us that each country cannot win at everything, and in fact that’s a positive thing. It teaches us that it’s okay to lose, if we lose gracefully. These ideals are further expressed in the Olympic creed:
The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.
4. Positive thinking — When much of our world news focuses on the negative, the media surrounding the Olympics is overall positive. And those people tuning in from around the globe are focused on something positive — viewing what is good in the world — even if it’s just for two weeks.
5. Ilanaaq — The Inuit people of Canada’s Arctic have stacked rocks in human form for thousands of years to create the inukshuk, a steadfast guidepost that provides direction across the vast horizons of the North. Over time, the inukshuk has become a symbol of hope and friendship, an eternal expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms every day.
One thing we have to say. We firmly believe that women should be able to compete in the Olympic ski jump.
Lindsey Van holds the record — among both men and women — for the longest jump off of Whistler, B.C.’s normal ski jump, built for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The 25-year-old skier trains six days a week, 11 months a year and has been jumping for the past 19 years. But when games kick off on Feb. 12, the 2009 women’s ski jumping world champion will be nowhere in sight. That’s because women aren’t allowed to ski jump in the Olympics.
Sign the petition to let women compete in the Olympic ski jump.
In other news, it’s been an uber busy week here at Under Solen. We re-launched with a new website this week — and a new kick-ass team. Make sure to check out what we have going on. Then, we recommend taking some time to chill…
I took this photo in Las Penitas, Nicaragua from a palm tree perch with a glass of rum in hand. Not a bad way to end a day of surfing and beach yoga… Loved this place. So, this weekend, even though it’s winter in Portland, I plan on taking some serious time to chill. I suggest you do the same.
Happy Friday!
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