Seeing it Pay Off

I'll admit it: like many others out there, I'm a bit of an Olympics junkie. The time between Olympiads find me not seeking out most sporting events, but when the time rolls around, I become obsessive.

There are reasons to find the Olympics problematic- namely the huge cost associated with hosting the games, not to mention the potential adverse affects citizens of the host cities may face. However, the idea behind the games remains romantic. It's a time to come together as the nations of the world. 

What I love the most, though, is seeing people surprise themselves. They finish their race or routine, look for their time or score, and then the emotions flit across their face. First comes the questioning of reality. Is everyone else seeing the same thing? Have I entered some crazy alternate universe? Then, excitement floods their face as they realize that they just fulfilled a dream they weren't sure they could do. 

It fills me with warm fuzzies. That moment of realization is so honest and uninhibited that it becomes a vulnerability shared around the world.

And that is what really can bring us together around the world.