Early Morning Thoughts

What the heck should I write about on an early Saturday morning which began when Sir Cat jumped on me at 5:30? That's better than yesterday, however, when I woke myself up at 4:00. But I don't want to write about sleep or health (although I feel compelled to insert a deep groan at this point) or grandkids. You'd think that with all that transpires in this vast world, I'd have been ruminating upon some topic or other, but the fact of the matter is that my world has more or less shrunk to the dimensions of the kids' living room where we watch over Nikki Dee and Zachary: bless their tiny tottish but energy sapping, little hearts.

... pause while AC sits and stares at the screen ... and he's got something ... not much, but something ...

Without feeling very inspired about it, I think I will say something about the Olympics, presently transpiring in Vancouver and elsewhere in British Columbia.

Previously, Canada has hosted two Olympics: the 1976 games in Montreal and the 1988 winter games in Calgary, and we possess the dubious distinction of being the only host country to have never won a gold medal. We've won them elsewhere but not at home. We were so good at not winning golds that we managed to accomplish that in both Montreal and Calgary in both summer and winter if you please. Well, we've been getting better in more recent Olympiads, and at the halfway point this time around we have four gold medals.

Which is all very nice but ...

Our Olympic committee invented the slogan Own The Podium for this event. It seems that our athletes were no longer to be satisfied with just competing but were to go for the gold. I do understand that these events are a competition and that the ultimate idea in any competition is to win. On the other hand, the flip side of that notion is also to hold your head high if you've done your best and not emerged victorious. There's something to be said for participating in the struggle, and I opine that the Own The Podium mantra fails to recognize that.

In any event, I have never fancied the slogan. Saying something doesn't necessarily make it happen. Canada is currently standing fourth in the medal count, which is very good, and I think that most of us are pleased with that modest degree of success. But let's face it, the USA really owns the podium, and all of the slogans in the world won't change that. I'd rather not talk brashly than have to eat my own words. Besides it's so un-Canadian as we tend to be a modest self-effacing bunch.