Although I am not very much into winter sports and I live in a place where snow is the stuff of legends, I would be out of touch with reality if I didn’t have something to say about the winter Olympics.
I have seen the incredible feelings of pride and joy that victory (or sometimes, mere participation) in these games, can offer to participants and fans alike.
And rightfully so.
It is one of the things that I am the proudest, of my Hellenic heritage: The mere thought of the World’s absolutely best athletes, from the World’s most popular sports, gathered at the same place, at the same time must have been an impossible dream prior to 1894. It took the incredibly far-reaching vision and political skill of Baron Pierre de Coubertin as well as a festival/competition that represented ideals so pure, powerful and universally acceptable, that it would be almost impossible for anyone having the chance to compete in, to deny doing so.
And indeed, more than the medals, the glory, the fame, I deeply believe that most people participating in the Olympics, do so because of the ideals these games represent. I could write endless pages on the subject, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to setting the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.
We live in very difficult (if not unique) times. There are days where I feel as if all of us are at war with ourselves. It is deeply worrisome, frightening really, that we have become so accustomed to instances of blind, uncontrolled and unjustified violence, that we simply switch channels on TV, as if nothing serious happened. That we keep seeing our weak neighbor getting beaten down by the local bully and we do not even flinch, despite being perfectly capable of preventing this injustice from occurring.
I am a realist. I do not believe that the way the World works will change anytime soon (if ever.) But the zest people show for the ideals of Olympism, gives me a bit of hope from which to cling on. And some days, this can be more than enough.