It seems like an obvious awareness, that not all stories are found in print, however, in our fast-paced lives we can often overlook the stories before us. My favorite quadrennial reminder of this is the Olympics. Whether it is the winter or summer games I am watching, I am always in awe of the stories of the Olympics.
This year the games alone have been the most inspiring story of all. For Tokyo to hold faith that it could host a full Olympics is podium worthy on its own. As the Delta Variant of Covid-19 takes center stage in the world, Tokyo refuses to concede its place in life's drama, and is putting in a full herculean effort to come out on top. They aren't whining about the gorgeous venues that now stand vacant. Nor the loss of revenue due the inability to "host the world" of spectators. No, they "athleted-up" and put on the whole show as if a pandemic had never happened.
Inside the games themselves are myriad tales of human triumph, resilience, and heroism. From athletes who thought they would never be able to compete to athletes who lost their chance to compete in one brief, heart wrenching moment, the Olympics has it all. This is why I love them. The games are a microcosm that mirrors daily human life. Every one of us lives with the same battles, fears, hopes, hurts, and successes as Olympians do. Every one of us rise, fall, and start again - with the inner dream of one day being fully triumphant at life. I am forever grateful that Greece created the Olympics.
There was a news story about how the little hotels and shops are losing so much revenue that they had anticipated from the games. They invested in stock and refurbishment of their shops and hotels, money they'll have to wait much longer to recoup. I recently wrote to the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee asking if there was some way we could patronize those shops online, but I have yet to hear back.