I am decurmudgeoning (verb - becoming younger, smoother and pleasanter) with respect to the Olympics. It is not so much the efforts of the athletes (which is still pretty impressive and I will get to in a bit) but more the streets of Vancouver and the excitement of the young people.

I think back a few (quite a few ) decades to the Crazy Canucks (Irwin, Read, Podborski, Murray), to Nancy Greene, to Paul Henderson’s winning goal in 1972. (Henderson of course was not an Olympic Moment). But as a child and teenager I still remember the excitement and pride that generated. It was really building on what I thought was my greatest Canadian Moment of Expo 67 and the Centennial Year. Those events made me realize that I am a Canadian and not something else. It was a moment of pride but pride in a good way. Pride in seeing something good and positive in things we have done, rather than pride in being innately superior to others because of the color our skin, or the God that we worship, or something our ancestors did. It has given me a sense of being a proud Canadian ever since.

When you see the shots of the people on the Streets of Vancouver no doubt some are mugging for the cameras. ( I would) But the sum is greater than the parts: There is a pride and satisfaction of a job well done. No one has to be killed, no one has to strap explosives to themselves and everybody seems to have no problem differentiating between reality and fantasy. Everybody seems to know that is the Olympic GAMES.

I have a new love in my life (my wife is very open minded about this sort of thing). I am in love with Mellisa Holingsworth. She came in fifth place today in the Woman’s Skeleton and was willing to still be interviewed on CTV. She was full of tears and raw emotion but she showed class and dignity. It showed that not all of us are winners, that not getting what you want hurts, but that you have to move towards something else. She showed life.

If I could snap my fingers and the sugared drink companies and the hamburger companies suddenly removed their sponsorship dollars what would happen? A bunch of athletes would go home and we would still eat mega burgers and carbonated sugar drinks. If CTV curbed their enthusiasm we would have the CBC.

I am joining the party. There is a lot wrong with the world. There is a lot wrong with the Olympic Movement. But these things fix themselves.

Go Latvia Go
Go Canada Go
Mellisa I love you
Stephen Harper … Stephen Harper …. You married well and have fabulous kids.
Who is the Curmudgeon now?