Lessons to be Learned

For most of the past week my family and I have been enjoying the Games of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I hope most of you have been taking in the amazing feats of the Worlds athletes as well. The things, they have accomplished, the sacrifices that that have made, the injuries, disappointments, and set backs that they have endured carry the power to inspire all of us, and look them with pride and admiration.

The stories behind their lives gives us a glimpse at what they’ve been through to get to where they are, and where they are going, and can make us cheer for them, regardless of who they are, where they are from, and what language, cultural, or religious barriers separate us.

Amazingly, during a few motivating and inspiring weeks during the summer and winter, and spanned over a couple of years, we are able to ignore this, and cheer for the athletes we watch as just that, athletes, human beings that have trained and pushed themselves beyond all expectations but their own. Molded and shaped themselves like craftsmen, to keep the body from doing what it physically wants to do, to where it will do what their minds command it to do.

During these weeks, the world is capable of embracing everyone as a person, seeing only their focus, emotion, triumph, or failure. Watching on either with a rush of adrenaline, screaming and cheering, smiling and laughing at their victory, be it personal or competitive, or feel saddened, sympathetic, and hurt along with them during their disappointments, sometimes to the point of tears, because we wanted them so badly to succeed.

Yet sadly in many cases, once the flames of world unity have been extinguished from the Olympic games, so too have they been extinguished from the hearts and minds of the world. People tend to go back to their close-minded ways. Seeing people only for what is presented in front of them. Not caring to ponder the heart wrenching or awe inspiring prospective piece that is their lives, where they have come from, what they’ve endured, what they are currently going through.

I’m not claiming that I’m impervious to prejudices and preconceived opinions about people. Just a human being, trying to learn, trying to capture light bulbs, and keep them glowing, along with the flame of world unity. That flame will flicker, it will get blown from the winds of prejudice, racism, and intolerance of others, but may it never die out. Help me guard the flame, and keep it blazing for all to see, for all to feel its warmth, and bask in it’s unifying glow.