We are a house divideddivided over the 2016 Summer Olympics that is. Nick doesnt want the big O, and the very thought of hearing, And the 2016 Olympics go to Chicago gives me the chills and almost brings tears to my eyes.
Flashback to Roswell, Ga., 1990: My fifth grade class huddles around a bulky TV
on loan from schools library, and the announcement that Atlanta will host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games turns the room electric. Then as a teenager, I then saw firsthand how hosting the games elevated Atlanta to an international city and pushed my childhood home to energize its downtown making it a destination for everyone from families to recent graduates and beyond.
The long-term financial impact maybe not have yielded great riches to Atlanta, www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-olympics-atlanta-21-sep21,0,2542212.story, but as a Georgia resident during the 1996 Games, Im keeping my fingers crossed for Fridays announcement.
As kids we didnt know or care anything about tax dollars, crowds or similar concerns from non-supporters like my dear husband. Now, perhaps naively, I think of how the Olympics could elevate our already world-class Chicago beyond our wildest expectations.
What about the thrill of world-class competition in our already amazing city? What about the stories of sacrifice, perseverance and power of the human spirit? What about the chance to see our athletes bring home gold medals on American soilin our own backyard?
In these uncertain times, we need everything good that the Olympics stand for like beauty and emotion. Above all, we need the entire world to come together and celebrate excellence in sport through healthy competition.
On Friday, I hope my offices conference room is filled with that same electricity that filled Mrs. Williams classroom at Mountain Park Elementary School 19 years agoan era where not every kid was a blue-ribbon winner and probably better for it. Regardless, the pizza is on me for my coworkers this week if their fingers crossed too.
And if anyone at the International Olympic Committee (IOC, www.olympic.org) isnt convinced by Chicagos impressive entourage in Copenhagen this week, then perhaps the non-supporters have more validate points than Im willing to admit. Send the Olympic Flame to Chicago IOC, and Im sure well put on an incredible show with Lake Michigan sparkling in the background.
We remain a house divided over the 2016 Summer Olympics, but in 2016, when were closer to 40 than 30, I hope were loading our brood on Metra and heading downtown to watch the best-of-the-best compete in the best city in the world.
About Us: Were a married couple living in Schaumburg. Nick runs his own law office, www.nickrichardsonlaw.com, and I work in communications promoting eggs.
