It's that time. The Olympics are here and in full swing. Everyone is joining around the TV to watch and cheer for athletes that have been training their whole lives for this one moment. Diving, gymnastics, track and field, volleyball... Every single sport is televised around the world. The Olympics are not like any other sport you watch on TV. There is something about it that can unify a whole country.
Each country find pride in their athletes performing on a worldwide level. They're almost like a proud parent knowing that their athlete was raised on their soil. They know that they are competing with the best of the best and that their heads should be held high.
Somehow, rallying behind one team (or athlete) makes the problems subsides we face in our own countries. Racial tensions, economic stability, and even the presidential race. All of these worries are left behind with a simple change of the channel to witness a USA gymnast take the gold.
The athletes are almost like representatives of each country, coming together in one place, to see who will rise to the top. It may be a competition, but it symbolizes much more than that. It is the whole world joining in one place. Even though there is a winner and loser, displays of sportsmanship are found everywhere and show that there is a deep connection that cannot be hindered by a different language.
As we cheer on our country, may we remember how the Olympics not only unifies the country, but the world as well. They may give out medals for first, second, and third place, but the meaning reaches far deeper than that. As the athletes take the podium for this moment, we sit, stand, or watch. We become unified in that very same moment.
