I heart the Olympics

I love the Olympics. \nWhen my sister asked me to the opera Friday night, I hesitated to agree because the opening ceremonies in Torino began at 8 p.m., the same time as "Barber of Seville" at the Musical Arts Center. Thank God my six-year-old programmable VCR is still chugging along. I taped it.\nAfter fast-forwarding through all the Bob Costas banter and learning about the history of Italy and the Alps region (with some fairly odd displays), the 2006 Olympians marched into Stadio Olympico. And I asked myself (with the help of my boyfriend) why I love this so much. It dawned on me when Yoko Ono read her late husband's "Imagine" lyrics. The Olympics represent an ideal world order.\nAt the Olympics, everyone supports and respects one another. Yes, there is a heightened sense of nationalism and everyone wears a flag on their sleeves. Yes, we view ourselves as citizens of our countries, not of the world. But this type of nationalism is entirely healthy.\nWe help each other. We encourage each other. We don't beat each other when we're down. For example, during couple's figure skating, China's Zhang Dan fell and hurt her knee pretty badly. As the last pair to skate, the fall was extremely disappointing for Dan and her partner Hao, but they reskated the program and ended up with a silver medal. Overcoming obstacles is definitely a true Olympic story, but in a way, everyone helped her recover from her fall, and she achieved success. If only our governments worked that way.\nYou want to know what else is great about the Olympics? The athletes are regular people. They aren't politicians, ambassadors or government officials. They have no agenda other than to succeed at their sports. Everyone might not get what they want (the gold), but an American athlete won't declare war on a Swedish athlete if he fails. No one is competing for market share or jobs. No one is trying to change another's way of life. No one protests political cartoons. We're all respectful and, for lack of a better pun, we're good sports. (Except for some nasty French judges now and then.)\nIsn't it funny that someone like me, a political science major and political junkie, loves so many things that are apolitical? Politics and government are necessary to get things accomplished in this world, but it seems as though the world is a better place wherever they're absent.\nI think the Olympics are an indicator that in this free world we have created for ourselves, the global political situation needs a makeover. Our governments need better people with less personal agendas, more understanding and competence -- and for God's sake, less bickering. The Olympics show us how the world's nations could act toward each other if the governments actually represented the people's will, because it's obviously goodwill.\nThe Olympics always seem short-lived and not often enough. I must feel this way because for two weeks every two years, I can pretend the world actually lives in harmony.