What A Wonderful World

I apologize to you who follow this blog for the length of time between posts. I’ve simply had too much life in my life. Now that there is some sense of normalcy, I can get back to writing posts I hope you will find worthwhile.

Sunday night like billions of people around the world, I watched the Olympics closing ceremony. Also as many people around the world, I watch the summer and winter Olympics. I enjoy seeing cities I may never have an opportunity to visit. I enjoy the stories on athletes from other countries. There is a sense of excitement watching the best athletes and teams compete with dignity and genuine care, two qualities that seem to be lacking in this time of rudeness and disrespect. Watching these athletes compete filled me with hope, hope that maybe, just maybe, we’ll return to an age where human kindness is second nature to us all.

In addition, the events themselves, I also marveled at number of countries participating and how the world is filled with people of color. My husband watched the opening ceremony with me and he was amazed at how many people of color there are in the world based on the parade of athletes entering the Olympic stadium. Race is generally not a topic that comes up during the games unless there is a U.S. first like Gabby Douglas during the 2012 London games. Announcers are quick to label the first African American to win such and such. I must admit that I saw many Black firsts as well however I did more than just see the firsts. I cheered for them. I screamed for the Black women I saw participating in sports I had never seen a Black woman do before. I saw Simone Manuel win the gold in swimming. I saw Michelle Carter win gold in the shot put. I saw Jenny Arthur compete in weightlifting. I saw Jennifer Abel perform breathtaking dives as a member of the Canadian diving team. I saw a fencing team with two Black women. I saw the U.S. women’s gymnastics team that was primarily women of color win multiple god medals. I cheered until I lost my voice each time I saw a woman of color compete. And finally I cried because I could scream no more and I felt overjoyed and overwhelmed much as I did that election night in 2008 when I saw something I thought I would never see in my lifetime. And it felt good!

There has been so much rage perpetrated against Black people in this country. Not just the injustice of slavery or the fallacy of freedom that followed Reconstruction. Not just the horrendous Jim Crow era or the short lived triumphs of the Civil Rights movement. We are 16 years into a new century and the stink of racism is rising all over this country. The powers that be in this country are not content to make life hell for Black people. Latinos, especially Mexicans, are coming under fire. Members of the LGBT community are dealing with government sanctioned discrimination laws under the guise of religious freedom. This November we have to be choose between one of two evils for president. That scares the living hell out of me. But for these past two weeks, the anger I felt about being under siege as a Black person in America, the shame I felt as I watch my country turn back the hands of time, the trepidation I feel about the upcoming presidential election, it all took a back seat to the wonder and awe of the summer Olympics in Rio.

If only we could do this all the time. What a wonderful world it would be.