When I was little it seemed like the Olympics came around once every ten years or so. Probably because I didn't pay all that much attention to them, but more likely that the build up in the alternating two year periods between Winter and Summer Olympic games was much more minimalized than it is now.
Now it seems that barely a year passes without the Olympic games (summer or winter), and should it be an "off" year, NBC will surely remind you of the impending phenomenon by repeatedly flashing the rings in the corner of the screen with that little ding-dong "NBC" noise.
Nevertheless, I've succumbed to full-blown Olympic obsession. I jumped on my bed when Michael Phelps received his 5 gold medal last night, and I nearly shed a tear when Alicia Sacramone of the US Women's Gymnastics team fell not only on her floor routine, but more heartbreakingly off the balance beam. Oh yes, I'm a card-carrying, rebel-rousing, insanely annoying Olympic Games' Superfreak.
I have let this problem get so bad that during lunch today when I usually let my mind take a breather and watch mindless soap operas, I instead turned to the women's water polo match. really?!?! water polo?! I had no idea that sport was even considered Olympic, much less did I ever think I would be watching it with stalwart interest. I'm starting to wonder if I should chalk this up to getting older, or have I just become this disenchanted with every other aspect of my life....
I am fully aware that there are many other, more rewarding, outlets to which I could channel this obsession. I could probably use the time I spend watching beach volleyball volunteering somewhere, or the two hours I spent watching diving yesterday at the gym instead. But I'm not, and to be honest, I really don't plan on it.
Today as I was eating lunch with a friend, channel surfing down to channel 4 for some hot sports action, my friend turns to me and says, "Why do you like the Olympics so much?" I hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "I just love competition I guess." "Yeah," she said slowly, "you always were kind of weird like that..."
