It was the first day of March and I had fallen into a deep depression. No, it wasn’t because I realized that we were still at least two months away from some glimmer of spring (yes, the first official day of spring is in March, but who are we kidding? We’re in Minnesota). The Olympics were over, and now life just didn’t seem as worthwhile.
Leading up to the Olympics, I just shrugged this glorious series of events off. At first I kept up this “oh, I don’t really care… I’ll just watch the figure skating” persona, sleeping through the opening ceremony.
However, somewhere between men’s moguls and the men’s first short track speed skating final, I had a change of heart. In fact, I became seriously addicted.
By the end, I’m pretty sure I had seen every pivotal or memorable moment in these games. Ohno winning silver due to the Koreans wiping out in speed-skating? Saw it live. The Canadians winning their first gold on home soil? Saw it. The American four-man bobsled team winning gold? Saw it. I had Olympic-cred. I could come to school and talk about any event, any day–an impressive accomplishment that I was quite proud of.
Watching the Olympics inspires us all to become athletes competing in cool sports for a chance at gold and glory (even bronze would do). My sport of choice? Figure skating. Admittedly, there may have been times that I tried to pull off a triple-axel in my living room, or planned my routine and picked my music for the 2014 games. (By the way, triple-axel in the living room… probably not the best idea. I had pretended to be a gymnast during the 1996 summer games and ended up with broken bones).
Looking back, I realize that the winter Olympics are indeed the best: a nice highlight in the middle of a dreary month. I realized this desperation and boredom as even Apolo Ohno and his soul patch and buck teeth were beginning to seem quite attractive (at least he doesn’t wear feathers– there is a reported obsession with figure skater Evan Lysacek among sophomore girls).
Wow, I may need to get a life. Maybe it’s good the Olympics are ending. I have to say, I may have gotten a little teary-eyed as NBC replayed memorable moments from the games to the “Remember the Titans” soundtrack on the final night. But until the next Olympics, I will hold on to these precious memories and train for my big break as a figure skater, with the Olympic march and NBC promotional music forever playing in my heart.
