Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Every four years the world takes a little time out for the Olympics. I was watching a show the other night on PBS about Lake Placid and its role in the Olympic story. A fascinating story about a small town that for a few brief weeks became the center of attention for the world.

I remember being fascinated with the Winter Olympics back in 1980. Watching skating, bobsledding and the other winter sports in the comfort of the living room back at the farm. I remember where I was the first time I watched a hockey game on the television. And how we all took time out to watch as the United States hockey squad took on the world.

We all knew who the evil empire was and we watched as they took on the Soviet Union in that game that will forever be a moment in time that I can look back and know exactly where I was and what I was thinking. Yes...I do believe in miracles!

As I got older I'd look forward to both the Summer and Winter games, more so than any Presidential election even. The color and pagentry of the opening ceremonies. The competition and enjoyment of the games that were played, and even a new found appreciation for a strange little game called Curling.

Curling seems to me to be the kind of game we would have come up with as kids. Since we grew up on the edge of the "have snow all winter" and "it's just going to be a muddy brown mess" most of the time we never really got too focused in much in the winter other than staying warm. So now we have curling....Don't get me wrong I think it's a fun way to pass the time, but I think that they are missing out on some other great games.

Where is fort building or snowball fighting? How about scoop shovel sledding or even a winter driving race?

We cheer on our favorites and feel the same pride the gold medalists feel when the flag is raised and the anthem is played. Friday night I'll be in front of the television with the kids, provided I can convince them that the Wii is down for repairs for a week or so, and we'll watch the opening ceremonies. We'll cheer on our favorites and we'll hope for a lasting peace in the world.

See you next week. Remember...we're all in this together.