Olympic Fever
I just got back from Whistler where I picked up my Olympic volunteer accreditation and uniform. I’m jazzed about the chance to work at the Ski-jumping and Nordic Combined events. I’m working on the calculations crew. It will be a hectic, fun filled February. That’s not really what this post is about though. During the drive home, about forty-five minutes, I was reflecting on my Olympic journey and the Olympics in general. Some people in Vancouver and the Sea to Sky Corridor are negative about the Olympics. There is a fair amount of negative press. There are organised protest groups, some advocating violence. Why are some people so excited and enthusiastic while others are so against the Olympics? If we discount the violent fringe I think the majority of the people negative about the Olympics fit a very different personality profile from the excited supporters. My whole life I’ve looked for new experiences. I thrive on learning new skills and experiencing new things. I tend to get bored with something once I’ve had the experience. I go looking for something new. When I was younger I had very restless feet, always wanting to see somewhere I hadn’t been before. As soon as it was announced that Vancouver got the 2010 winter Olympics I started my Olympic journey. I volunteered for events at the Whistler Olympic Park before you could volunteer for the Olympics. I revelled in learning new skills and about a sport I knew nothing about. I was a Pre-Olympic volunteer, interviewing Olympic volunteers. I immersed myself in the Olympics and the experience of volunteering. I think many of the people who wish the Olympics would just go away are the opposite to me. They thrive on continuity and knowing what’s going to happen before it happens. I’m not saying one is better than the other. They are different outlooks on life, that’s all. I was somewhat angry when I talked to people who were going away for the Olympics, or upset because they would be inconvenienced by them. How could they even think of missing something this big right in their back yard? It’s only three weeks of inconvenience out of a lifetime. After thinking this through I’m no longer angry. How can you be angry just because someone is different from you? There are many other reasons that people may be excited or angry about the Olympics. Most of the people I’ve talked to personally however fit into one of my categories. They’re either excited and can’t wait or they just want it to be over. I think for most of us it is more about our outlook on life rather than the Olympics specifically. I’d be just as excited about a world’s fair or any other major event in my back yard. Others would be just as negative about those same events. Both viewpoints are valid. I can live with that.