Olympic feat
I stayed in bed much of Saturday and Sunday, coughing and blowing my nose. Occasionally hacking up goo. The good news is the Olympics are on, so I watched cycling, diving, judo, golf, dressage, track, rowing, tennis. It was exhausting to watch but I managed. And watching BBC coverage is delightful. There are no syrupy reports about the Obstacles the Athletes have had to Overcome. There is no hype at all. No background stories. No fancy graphics. No commercials--imagine that! The commentators are understated. The athletes are humble. It feels more like what the Olympics is supposed to be.
Team GB is doing VERY well, second in medal count to the U.S. at this point. Every single British Olympic athlete has thanked the National Lottery, which provides funding for training. To a person, they are grateful for the financial support and feel privileged to have an opportunity to pursue their sport and compete for their country. I don’t remember that vibe in the U.S. I think the cult of celebrity in the U.S. has infected Olympic sports, which is unfortunate.
I noticed the much-lauded U.S. soccer team didn’t do that well, which is sad because so many girls in the U.S. look up to them. I did notice, however, that their makeup was perfect. From an earlier post, you’ll know I’m not a fan of a lot of makeup. Particularly on athletes. I mean for heaven’s sake, it’s soccer. David said that American athletes are very big on their image because they are all chasing endorsements. Not something that happens on Team GB. Thank God. I’ve noticed so many things in America are for sale. There’s advertising everywhere. That isn’t the case here. I’m so allergic to having product pushed at me that I really value being able to live my life without audio and visual assaults on what I should wear/drink/drive/eat. I remember in the U.S. having a video monitor in front of me when I pumped gas and also when I was at the checkout at the grocery store. FFS.
I feel like my posts have been extra grouchy lately. I’m sorry. I guess the cold wore me down.
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