2008 Summer Olympics - It Begins

I just finished watching the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and OH. MY. GOD. I don't think any other country will ever be able to pull off topping that one. It was absolutely breathtaking... and I don't ever use the word "breathtaking." From beginning to end, it was a completely amazing spectacle. The choreography, the colors, the art, the innovation... the VISION.

I was immediately amazed when they started with 2,008 drummers (literally, two thousand and eight people), using drums that lit up to do the countdown. I was baffled at how they were able to get 2,008 people to move in perfect unison. Little did I know that there would be a total of 15,000 performers moving in equally perfect unison to pull off a show that is completely beyond compare. The theme was "harmony," and everything about the ceremony portrayed that. If there was ever any doubt that that many people could work so well together, this evening removed all of those doubts.

The only thing more amazing than the ceremony itself was the final vision of all of the athletes on the infield. I mean, the Olympics have always symbolized world unity, but I think I'm finally old enough and mature enough to really appreciate it, and for it to really touch me. Think about it: it's representatives from practically the entire world, standing together, enjoying the exact same moment for the exact same reason, even if only for an hour. It's an exercise in peace, and although they are all ultimately in competition, there is no malice. It's a heartwarming moment that I was sad to see come to an end, but it is only the beginning of weeks of that feeling. While the Olympics and politics sometimes must intersect, I believe that the Olympics is still the one event that can find a way to transcend worldly issues, if so allowed.

So it's possible. It's possible to find commonality in those who seem so different from ourselves. It's possible to, if only for an instant, forget that we're enemies and celebrate what makes us the same... what we actually love about each other, despite everything. There's a lesson to be learned here for all of us - myself included.