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."

     For the last seventeen days we have spent hours in front of the television watching the youth of the world compete at the London Olympics. It is a spectacle that only comes to visit us once every four years and there is something special about being a part of it, even if it is a million miles away watching on television.

     We watched records broken, new ones made, and spent a week discussing and rehashing whether one man could be named the greatest Olympian who ever lived. There was our adopted Iowa daughter Gabby who smiled and flipped her way to Gold, and we cheered for her with the same Iowa gusto that we cheered for Shawn four years ago in Beijing.

     We learned more about the British people and the history of the host nation. We scratched our head wondering when BMX racing became an Olympic sport and when Baseball and Softball would return to that post. We were touched by the stories of the athletes themselves. Not only because of their dedication, but that of their families.

     Iowa’s own Lolo Jones stumbled and finished just off the medal stand once again, and after being attacked by the eastern press, she was further hounded until the one quote that chased after her was that she “let her fans down.” I think she has it completely wrong in my estimation. For her fans, of which I am one, were not let down, but were happy to see her compete regardless of the outcome.

     We also saw both sides of the spectrum when it came to the Olympic spirit. From the scandal of the badminton court, where teams intentionally threw matches to advance against weaker opponents, we saw the problem with countries that have their eye only on the final medal count. However, we were shown that simply competing was truly an honor as we watched the double amputee from South Africa run, and at the end of each race, be the first to offer his congratulations to every runner.

     Perhaps the future Olympians, and each of us in our own lives need to be reminded of the pledge of the Special Olympics. That pledge states; “If I can win, let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” And in the end, isn’t it about being brave in the attempt that really matters?

See you next week….remember, we’re all in this together.