Friday night while watching the most amazing opening ceremony of olympic history I was reminded of the importance of such an event. Not only is it a terrific display of athleticism and competition at it’s highest level, but at the same time it’s such a significant display of global unity. As I watched athletes from around the world marching into the stadium I couldn’t help but notice how proud they were to be there representing their country. It didn’t matter if they were a team of 1 or several hundred. It didn’t matter if their country was small or large, or what economic advantages they did or didn’t enjoy they were thrilled to be an official ambassador for their homeland. 

During the Parade of Nations, which I have to admit I don’t view as the highlight of the opening ceremonies I observed and learned many things about the cultures of the various countries. It’s amazing what you can learn by watching the facial expressions and body language of people as they make their way around the track. Some people were over-the-top boisterous while others were much more reserved and stoic. Their body language says as much about their culture as their official olympic costume, perhaps more.

And then there was the nine year old boy helping lead the home team of China into the stadium. This little national hero is a survivor of the earthquake that killed so many people earlier this year. The great part of his story is how after he’d been rescued he went back into his school to help free his classmates from the rubble. I think that too speaks to the culture of his country and the values they hold. I think China is scoring big points these days and making the most of these games to boost their image. There’s nothing like the olympics to help tell you story!