I've been watching the Olympics obsessively. You know, I'm not terribly patriotic--mostly, I think that patriotism is a waste of time (though I do have a maple leaf tattoo, so what the fuck am I really talking about?)--and obviously, the U.S. isn't much to be proud of these days, but when I look at all of these people who've worked so hard to get to where they are, these teenagers in gymnastics to the 40-year-olds on horseback in their fourth and fifth Olympics, I remember that the world doesn't completely suck. If we could only settle all international disputes with sporting matches.
I started riding horses when I was 6. My coworker started swimming at the same time. We sat and talked about where we could have been, with the choices we made and why we stopped competing. Mostly, I was too busy being a depressed punk rock teenager to keep working, and now I regret it. Luckily, that's one of those sports that you can keep doing. I really need to get back into it.
I know it's not punk rock of me to love sports, but I do. I love people who devote so much of themselves to something, who will turn themselves inside out and leave everything they have on the field, the track, the ice to win. And I love the Olympics because they're not doing it for money. I don't care about bringing more glory to my country, but I love to see people coming together to compete, not to fight, and not for money, but for the knowledge that you are honestly the best in the world. (Witness the U.S. basketball team, who have no idea what it's like to play for simple love of the sport and desire to push yourself.)
I watch men's tennis because looking at Andy Roddick makes me smile. I know it's such a fucking cliche, but he reminds me of my ex. My baby. The one whose whole life is one long string of might-have-beens. So I look at lovely successful boys with pieces of him and wish that he hadn't settled for so much less than he deserved (and not just in his love life).
edited to add: Like I give a fuck what's punk rock or not punk rock. I hate that I may have given the impression that it matters what anyone else thinks is cool. Cool is the death of originality.
I started riding horses when I was 6. My coworker started swimming at the same time. We sat and talked about where we could have been, with the choices we made and why we stopped competing. Mostly, I was too busy being a depressed punk rock teenager to keep working, and now I regret it. Luckily, that's one of those sports that you can keep doing. I really need to get back into it.
I know it's not punk rock of me to love sports, but I do. I love people who devote so much of themselves to something, who will turn themselves inside out and leave everything they have on the field, the track, the ice to win. And I love the Olympics because they're not doing it for money. I don't care about bringing more glory to my country, but I love to see people coming together to compete, not to fight, and not for money, but for the knowledge that you are honestly the best in the world. (Witness the U.S. basketball team, who have no idea what it's like to play for simple love of the sport and desire to push yourself.)
I watch men's tennis because looking at Andy Roddick makes me smile. I know it's such a fucking cliche, but he reminds me of my ex. My baby. The one whose whole life is one long string of might-have-beens. So I look at lovely successful boys with pieces of him and wish that he hadn't settled for so much less than he deserved (and not just in his love life).
edited to add: Like I give a fuck what's punk rock or not punk rock. I hate that I may have given the impression that it matters what anyone else thinks is cool. Cool is the death of originality.
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I wish I had the chance to play volleyball in college. In HS all I wanted to do (besides work in a BSL-4 lab) was play on the womens olympic volleyball team.