I stayed up with our eldest daughter last night to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics. I had tried to impress upon her earlier in the week that the coming of the Olympics to London really was a “once in a lifetime” thing, but I think sitting and watching the show last night was far more powerful.
I think perhaps the lasting legacy London might leave for future hosts is proof that you don’t have to be a superpower, and to spend billions on a show for it to be powerful, moving, exciting, sombre, intelligent, clever, witty, and of course memorable. It’s probably also worth reminding ourselves that we have a huge advantage though”Great Britain” has a lot to draw on that other countries do notand a lot of it was demonstrated during the show; We were the driving force behind the industrial revolution that changed the worldOur canon of literary figures, stories, plays, poetry and characters is without equalOur record of healthcare for everybody is unfortunately still rare (yes, America, I am talking about you, and the idiotic resistence by a huge proportion of your populance to helping each other)Our influence on popular culture through movies, theatre, and music has been, and continues to be immenseA few moments stood out for me; Chris Hoy leading the “Team GB” around the stadium, and struggling to hold back his emotionsThe Queen and James Bond parachuting into the stadiumThe arrival of the flame via David Beckham, and Sir Steve RedgraveThe lighting of the Olympic flame in the stadium by seven young athletes, handed on by seven champions of the past.
I can’t help feeling that the London Olympics is already showing the world more than we could ever describe about the way we might wish to live our lives, and the way we might wish others could too. A story of hope in the future, of caring, compassion, togetherness, and to celebrate diversity.