Am I the only weirdo who gets depressed when the Olympics are over? I’m pretty sure that I’m the only dork that put the Olympics on his desk calendar when I filled it out at the beginning of the year. I also have the International Olympic Committee’s website marked as one of my favorites on my computer. That way, I can always check in to see how many days there are until the next Olympics begin. Go ahead and make fun of me. I’m a tool, I know. I realized long ago that constantly humming “Bugler’s Dream” in public wasn’t quite normal.
Yes, I love the Olympics. I love watching the world’s greatest athletes perform on the biggest stage imaginable. I love getting to know these athletes, their stories, their struggles, their dreams. I love being able to root for complete strangers, hoping to see their dreams realized. I don’t care if it is swimming or rowing, gymnastics or fencing, sprinting or cycling – I love it all. Some of them succeed. Others fail. But, there is no other event where one can see the pure, unadulterated emotion that these athletes share with us - whether that is the absolute joy of victory or the crushing pain of defeat. It really is an awesome display of human emotion and drive.
While there is no denying that I enjoy the competitive aspect of the Olympic Games, what is even more important for me are the personal memories I associate with each games. I know, I’m a sentimental dolt. Yet, the Olympics help to provide a framework, a moment in time, for me to look back happily on some of my fondest memories – memories of who I am, who I was, and of who I was becoming. They provide another example of how time moves so quickly, reminding me that – no matter how much money I make or save – it is not money but ”time” that is our most precious asset.
My Olympic Memories
I was only 2o-years old when Michael Phelps competed at his first Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He was 15. Those Olympics remind me of the summer I spent in Colorado, and my friends from Australia who worked with me there. I often wonder what became of Shane and Kat, but I have no way of knowing now. I remember the hours spent watching curling with my roommates during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, rushing home from rehearsals to watch the late night rebroadcast until the wee hours of the morning. The 2004 Athens Summer Games marked the end of one chapter in my life, acting, and the beginning of another – meeting my future wife. I’ll never forget watching the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics in my new house with Holly. I’d come home from work each night and sit in our living room, glued to the television as we cheered on Michael Phelps as he swam to 8 gold medals. I remember that Holly was just a few weeks pregnant then, but we did not know it.
And now, I’ll have the memories from these London Olympic Games as well. Four years from now, while I’ll fondly remember the names of Phelps, Bolt, and Douglas, I’ll look back and think of my young family. I’ll think about how my oldest daughter saw the “swimming divers” perform their acrobatics from a 3-meter springboard for the first time. I’ll remember her face as she looked on in awe, saying, “Whoa! Daddy, will they do that again?!?” I’ll remember staying up late with her so that she could see the best gymnasts in the world perform their routines. I’ll remember sitting on my couch, watching my two little girls play in front of the television while I watched the U.S. women win our country’s first water polo gold. I’ll remember the time that my wife and I worked hard on a blossoming little blog, a hobby that we enjoyed together. Hopefully, this little hobby of ours will still be around four years from now.
Time Moves Quickly
Four years seems like such a long time, but it really goes by in the blink of an eye. By the time that the Rio Summer Olympic Games come around four years from now, we plan on having our house paid off. We may even be in our dream house by then, a house we will have paid for in cash. Both of our girls will be in school, possibly starting to dream Olympic dreams of their own. Will my girls grow-up to be another Gabby Douglas, Missy Franklin, or Hope Solo? Will girls around the world someday dream of being just like them, saying, “Whoa Daddy! Will she do that again?” I don’t have any idea. However, I know that their Olympics could be just a few cycles away. Time goes by so fast.
So, farewell to the London Summer Olympic Games of 2012. Thank you to the athletes for sharing your gifts with us for these past two weeks. Thank you for serving as a reference point in time, a point that I may look back and remember my young family during the greatest year of our life. Thank you for reminding me that everyday we experience many different moments – some good and some bad. Regardless of whether the moments are good or bad, these moments make us who we are. And, once those moments are gone, they are gone forever, living on only in our memories. London, thank you for hosting a great Olympic Games. So, while I’ll be excited to experience it all again in Sochi and Rio, I’d be remiss if I said that I can’t wait for those games to begin. For time goes by so quickly, but it is the most precious asset we have.
About Greg
One of the best lead-ins on any article linking the Olympics to everyday life.
Personally, I prefer football (I know, I know, nobody’s perfect, what can I say?). So I’m glad the last distraction is out of the way.
But I liked your take – well done!
Thanks William! I appreciate it. I’m excited for football to begin too, especially since I’m a fantasy geek:)
Greg, you’re not the only one. My wife was a little sad about it too. The Olymipics really are quite phenomenal! We had a few people local to our city go, so the local news is all over their homecoming.
That is awesome! I hope your locals did well. We had a relatively local kid win a gold – which is pretty darn cool:)
I really enjoy the Olympics but I’m gathering that I’m the only one glad that they’re over. Considering they’re so enthralling and understanding that I have NO self-discipline, I’ve been going to bed way too late every night because of the Olympics. I’m glad I can finally get to bed on time so I can get up and do my normal early-morning routine now.
Great post by the way.
Thanks Jason. I too have no self-discipline. At least I’m not staying up for the after show like I did in my 20′s!
While I was really enjoying it, I am kinda glad it’s all over now. It felt weird not turning on the tv this morning, but I know I can get back to being super productive again. Time is a pretty precious commodity for me these days.
I like how your Olympic memories aren’t just about how certain athletes did, but how it was all intertwined with your life. I think the only Olympic memories like that that I have are when the Winter Olympics were here in Vancouver. I’ll remember that experience for a lifetime.
I wish I could have been there! I specifically recall burining up a bunch of boxes in my fireplace while the U.S. and Canada battled it out for the ice hockey gold in Vancouver:)
Well said! This is the first Olympics my wife and I have really watched intently (maybe something to do with canceling our dish). Now we’re hooked and can’t wait for the next round. Looking forward to building new memories with each new games. Great post!
K – I have to warn you, once you’re hooked you’ll have a hard time ever turning back:) Only 543 days until the winter games in Sochi!
Thanks for the post Greg! I too am a bit sad they’re over. Our oldest kids, 5 & 3 loved staying up with us and watching so many of the different events. It was hard for them last night, I still think they don’t quite understand that we won’t get to watch the Olympics tonight.
I completely agree with your comment that our most precious asset is time. Money comes and goes. Someone will always have more money than you (unless your the likes of Buffett, Gates, or Carlos Slim) and can be easily lost. Time, however, is not unlimited. We’re only guaranteed today and thus have to make the most of it.
On a happier note…I am glad the Olympics are over though (for one reason), because that means football season is just THAT much closer…can’t wait! Thanks again for the post!
Thanks for the comment John. I’m not sure that I understand that the Olympics are over:) I am excited for football too! Can’t wait to see how my fantasy team ends up:)
We’re a little sad, absolutely! We’re a swimming family, so we are crazy about Michael Phelps. It makes me sad that he’s done with swimming, but at the same time–I don’t fully believe it. He can’t be serious! Don’t stop swimming, Mike! We love you! Of course, I’m the weirdo that also cries during the competitions themselves! It’s as if I know all the athletes personally and I’m so happy for them all! Jeff looks at me like I have 4 heads, but I’m always getting choked up while watching the Olympics and seeing what amazing things these young people are doing. Oh, be sure and tune-in in 8 years when my now 11-year-old makes his first Olympic swimming debut!
)
Swimming is my favorite of the events. I just love it! I loved going to watch swim meets in high school. There is so much energy, so much fun.
I can hardly believe that Phelps is finished either. I think he might change his mind in about 2 years from now. He’ll only be 31. He could potentially swim in 2 more Olympics and really add to his medal count. Of course, it could tarnish his legacy as well if he hangs on too long.
I’ll be rooting for your son in 8 years;) Since we’ll be debt free by then, we may even do it in person!
We missed the whole thing. I’m actually bummed, because all I had to do was by a powered antenna, but we just didn’t get around to it. It is a bummer that it’s not a “wait until next year” type of thing, but 4 years!
Oh well, it probably would have sucked our whole summer away, and we’d never finish out patio! Maybe we’ll really rock the next four years and be able to travel to the next Olympics?!
Dude, I just had that conversation with Holly last night. Going to the Olympics is on my Debt Free/Bucket List!
BTW – We watched the whole thing via antenna. I love me some free TV!
I always enjoy watching the Olympics, and I have since I was a little kid. The first Olympics I really remember were in Barcelona in 1992, when the original USA Dream Team won the men’s basketball gold.
I like that they’re every 4 years since you get more athlete turnover. If it were every year, I think it would start to lose some of its appeal.
And, on the bright side, I should be able to get more done at night now that I don’t have the Olympics on tv.