#4 Olympics

I am in love with the Olympics. It's not the winning that matters so much. In fact, I am not even swooned by some intense sort of national pride of American athletes. It's the amazing thresholds crossed by bold athletes who do things that I cannot even fathom doing. Dashing across hills at breakneck speeds, flipping over the lip of a halfpipe, jumping into the air on skates (heck, I can't even skate backwards)... I'm mesmerized by the talents, the dedication, the willpower. I root for athletes from the country I am from, but I also root for underdog athletes from countries I've lived in or visited. I root for my students' home countries and chat with them about it in class the next day. In fact, I am losing sleep over the Olympics -- who can go to bed when there is just one more skiier or skater or curler? Impossible. I figure that if these talented sportspeople can train for years, the very least I can do is stay up to catch their moments of struggle and glory. After all, they only come around every four years.

I am very grateful and very inspired by the exceptional role models and entertainment provided by these Olympic Games. And now, I must run back to my tele to catch the Super G!