GEARING UP FOR THE OLYMPICS!

The Olympics are almost here, and along with most people, I enjoy the international competition and the athleticism from around the world.  Whether it is a Jamaican Bobsled Team or the Russian Hockey team, for some reason, I love the atmosphere and the skill that many of these sports entail.  This year makes for an even more interesting mix, since the location is rife with potential other or outside issues.  Every Olympic game is subject to the potential disruption by a nut, and again, this is not new historically.  Ask anyone that remembers Hitler’s use of the games for propaganda in Germany during the 1930s, or anyone that remembers Munich and the Israeli athletes who were kidnapped and brutally murdered, or even in Atlanta, where some misguided soul thought that blowing up people was a good idea.  Such things are not uncommon at all, even though they should be non-existent, and they can happen anywhere.  What has some people worried is that Sochi, in Russia, has the distinction of being set in an area that is accessible to a myriad of groups that have a clearly stated agenda of harming people.  (If they can get to Boston to blow up a Marathon, what can they do here?)  

As we begin watching these games, think about the thousands of people, from a number of various nations to include our own, that are working tirelessly around the clock to provide security for all the athletes from all over the world.  Personally, I’m wishing each and every one of them a very successful Olympic Games, and an even more successful effort in keeping everyone safe.  For me, the personal prayer is that “may they all return to their homes safe and sound, without anything ever happening, or anyone being harmed.”  I’ve got my fingers crossed, and will sincerely hope for the best.  ~ Michael S. Pauley