by Laura

Still loving the Olympics?! That’s right – they aren’t over. Maybe you’re one of the many people contributing to the ‘decline in viewership’ being reported. Or maybe you’re one of the many (like me) who don’t watch them on regular television. That’s okay – screw the man and his advertising machinations.

I am still on my quest to watch the sports I don’t really know anything about but I have been derailed by a co-worker. Instead of watching the beauty of the sport, we’ve been entertained by the Olympic Fails. You know you’ve seen them – one person does something extraordinary and the masses display the most consistent form of flattery: imitation.

The little angel on my shoulder tells me to stop it: watch the sport, watch the event, watch the beauty and joy. This week the little devil is winning. The thing about watching the sport is that you are supposed to be watching a one of a kind happening or someone at the pinnacle of their event. When they fail, it brings them back down to earth or closer to my level. (But really their fails are still so far above me that I cannot even reach their bottom rung.)

This is not taking pleasure from someone’s pain. I cannot and will not watch the breaking bones or bloody matches and the visceral flesh tearing that can be gymnastics or judo or wrestling.

This is watching horses say nope and divers who just “failed to rotate”. This is humans (and their horses) who turn out to be more human and less Zeus. It brings a smile and causes a chuckle. It brings Icarus back down amongst us mere mortals. It pulls the hammer from Thor because he was not worthy.

Sometimes life just says “NOPE.” #Rio2016