Yesterday, my family was so excited because we LOVE watching the Olympics. If you’ve been around this blog awhile you know that I am an Olympian.  I participated in the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, representing the USA in Beach Volleyball.

The Olympics are fun, they are exciting, and what we love the most are the stories of the athletes.  It’s the one time every four years when we come together in peace and awe of one another. Every Olympian is proud to represent his/her country. Every countryman is proud of their Olympians. You feel love and unity throughout the world during this time.

Every four years, one country gets the opportunity to show their stuff if you will. To put their best foot forward.  They have the opportunity to spend billions of dollars, to make their country seem amazing, because they are under the microscopic lens of the world. For 2 weeks they are the center of the world’s attention.

Last night, we had an Olympic Opening Ceremony party with some dear friends. Boy were we excited, waiting in anticipation to see if London was going to bring it.  My husband Byron was in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic games, and till this day he raves about how well the city did with the games. He goes on, and on, and on about the amazing Opening Ceremony there.

well, that was just nuts

Everyone who saw the Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony is still in awe of that spectacular show. You know that you still revisit moments of it in your mind don’t you? The drums, the running in the air around the stadium.    It was just one jaw dropping moment after another.  Well, London was one jaw dropping moment after another as well, but for different reasons.  Not, because we were thrilled.  Not because it was so amazing. Partially as my dear neighbor said, because “she was bored.”  Here’s a quote from Robert Bianco at USA Today, I could not say it any better, so I won’t try. He said, “…much of the talk inspired by NBC’s tape-delayed broadcast Friday night probably hovers somewhere between “well, that was just nuts” to “what the …?”  My sentiments exactly!

SPOILER ALERT (don’t read below if you haven’t watched it)

From sick kids dancing in lighted beds, to turning their sweet dreams into British nightmares, thousands of volunteers picking up real sod to change it to an industrial city, a ginormous scary baby, and a girl looking for a cell phone… what the heck was going on???  I kept thinking is this really happening???

I don’t want to bash the entire show, I mean the Queen was cute in the 007 bit.  That was fun to see her be okay with the spoof.  But, it was a bit predictable, the parachuting in. The music tribute was way too long.  The kissing scene?? What? All I can say is thank God for Mr. Bean!!! He was the bright part that I was not expecting, and my entire family thoroughly enjoyed him.

Of course we loved the entrance of the athletes.  It’s always fun to see how excited, and proud they are to walk in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies. That was definitely a highlight for me when I walked in the stadium during the Sydney Olympic Games. My kids LOVED seeing how many countries there are they’ve never heard of!  My husband loved pointing out how diverse and beautiful the people of the world are. So many shades and hues, features, just beautiful people.  Also he pointed out how similar we are at the same time, just plain old humans, all just flesh and blood.  In my heart I was praying for world peace and unity.

wouldn’t it be cool

Though the London Olympic Opening Ceremony was a little lack luster, we are still extremely excited about the games themselves. We can’t wait to see some big showdowns.  I know we were all looking for something bigger and better and more extravagant than Beijing. Obviously, it did not happen. But, as I was watching that ceremony I kept thinking, gosh they sure did WASTE tons of money on that show.   And, now that I think about it, I guess I also wasted a lot of my time. I thought to myself, I wonder how many water wells could have been built for some of those countries, how many people could have been fed and clothed, how many orphanages could have been stocked with supplies with the money wasted on that show. Things that make you go hmmm…

Wouldn’t it be cool if one year whoever was hosting the Olympic Games would get the guts to say, this year we are not going to do the Olympic Opening Ceremony like they have in the past. We are not going to make it such a spectacle. Instead, we’ll still have the athletes parade around the field, maybe some stars sing for free and give a show, and sure we’ll light off some fireworks (people love that).   We’ll fill the seats and still charge up to $3000 a seat, but we’ll use the money profited, to help people in need from all over the world! What kind of statement would that make? I think that certainly would highlight the Olympic spirit.

What do you think?  And, how did you enjoy the show?

Annett Davis, Olympian & Founder of Fit Moms Fit Kids