Three weeks ago in this space, I wrote about some of the things I was most looking forward to in the Olympic Games in London.
Well, now the Games have come and past, with the closing ceremonies wrapping up Sunday night. But I'm not quite ready for the return of the cynic-rich regular routine, so I'd like to spend some time talking about my favorite Olympic moments.
As I've said before, it's not always the big attention-grabbing moments that make the Olympics great for me. Sure, I'm impressed with Michael Phelps, and I'm thrilled for Gabby Douglas. But it's the intangible parts of the Olympics that are the big draw for me.
With that in mind, here are some of my favorite Olympic moments:
During each medal ceremony that I saw, before the winning country's anthem sounded, the theme song from "Chariots of Fire" was played. I thought it was a nice touch.
For those who might not remember, "Chariots of Fire," is the 1981 Academy Award-winning movie about British athletes taking part in the 1924 Olympic Games.
It was a fitting to be used during the London Olympics. And it's a great song.
In the age of the Internet, it's inevitable that aspects of every large event will go viral. Sometimes quite humorously.
In this case, the image of American gymnast McKayla Maroney, making a sour expression after receiving a disappointing silver medal in the vault, has been superimposed over hundreds of other images, with the caption, "McKayla Maroney is not impressed with ..." Things McKayla Maroney is not impressed with include everything from Queen Elizabeth to NASA to the moon landing.
Even the U.S. gymnasts and Maroney herself have gotten in on the act, spoofing the meme on their own.
It's an example of some of the unscripted fun that comes out of the Games.
(Another great viral entity was the U.S. swim team's lip-dub to "Call Me Maybe.")
I've always love hearing "The Star Spangled Banner" played when U.S. Olympians win the gold. But I've come to be almost as nearly moved seeing the reaction from people all over the world when their own national anthem is played. I think it's sometimes hard for us Americans to realize that people from other countries love their native land as much as we love ours. But they do.
Perhaps the best example was hearing the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen" played on several occasions. You could almost always hear the home crowd belting out the words. It's always stirring to hear people sing their national anthem with pride, no matter the country.
Chances are, you haven't heard of Anthony Obame. Obame won a silver medal in taekwondo, becoming the first person from the West African nation of Gabon to win an Olympic medal.
For Americans, someone winning a silver medal isn't that big of a deal. On 107 different occasions during these Games, Americans athletes were on the medal stand.
But for the nation of Gabon, this was the first time it had ever happened. Obame will go home a national hero -- as will dozens of medalists from countries with tiny Olympic delegations.
I love it that the Olympics creates national legends this way.
During the opening and closing ceremonies, in a sign of modern technology, it was commonplace to see athletes entering the arena with their own cameras, capturing the scene for posterity. Some were regular digital cameras; many were smart phones; I even saw a couple of iPads being used.
It's fun to think that these ceremonies are just as meaningful to the athletes taking part as they are to those of us watching at home.
The closing ceremonies Sunday night were stirring, as they usually are, but my favorite part was when comedian Eric Idle, of "Monty Python" fame led the stadium in a rendition of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from the offbeat British comedy, "The Life of Brian." All the Olympians and everyone in the stands joined in during the chorus, singing and whistling along. The cameras even caught Prince Harry joining in on the fun.
It was a great way to end the Olympics. Though the song is ultimately somewhat irreverent, its message of looking for something positive in an otherwise negative world still holds true. It's a big part of what the Olympics are all about.
For 11 days in London, the Olympics allowed us to look on the bright side of life. It was fun while it lasted.
At least we only have to wait 540 days until the 2014 Winter Olympics begin in Sochi, Russia. I'm excited already.
aweld@blythevillecourier.com