As you are most likely aware, the Winter Olympics are in full swing. Young folks from all over the world have gathered in China to flip, spin, twirl, and glide on sticks and steel. To have every move of their gravity defying acts critically picked apart by judges, commentators, and the average bump on a couch.

We quickly become unimpressed with moves that were once thought miraculously unattainable. Triple flip? 80mph on glare ice? Ho-hum, that’s so last Olympics. Show me something that has a better than average chance of snapping you off at the knees and rendering you unconscious or I’m switching the channel back to CSI Burke County.

I suppose to always be striving for, expecting, or wanting more is how many of us human types are programed. There has always been those that looked out across the ocean and thought, “I wonder what’s out there?” and went and found out. Of course, there is also those that looked out across the ocean, thought the same thing, shrugged, refilled their coconut shell and slid back into the nearest hammock.

And being human, while enjoying the gentle sway of the hammock, most likely gazed out at the ocean and criticized the rowing technique of the ones disappearing over the horizon towards the unknown.

Several times while watching the Olympics the past few days, I’ve heard the commentators say, “If they land this move it will be the first time someone has done so in Olympic history.” This statement almost guarantees that whatever move that is, will be commonplace in the next Olympic games.

This isn’t a bad thing. There has to be a first, there has to be someone to step forward and flip the seemingly impossible into the realm of the possible. Once something moves into the realm of the possible there is no going back. It’s a one-way street that inevitably leads toward the launching pad to even more possibilities. Possibilities once thought impossible, or most likely, never even thought of.

I never thought I’d willingly eat brussel sprouts, but it turns out that a 6-parts bacon to 1-part brussel sprout ratio made that a possibility.

The Olympic games definitely lives up to their motto; Citius, Altius, Fortius. If your Latin is a little rusty, these words mean; Faster, Higher, Stronger. On the International Olympic Committee webpage, it states that this motto, first adopted in 1894, was amended in 2021. The new motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter” or “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together”

Not that they needed, or sought, my approval, but I like the change. When one of us strives to be faster, to go higher, to be stronger, others are sure to follow. Some will always be content to judge and commentate. To disappointedly say, “That was a beautiful routine. BUT, their right nostril was a bit flared on the landing. That’ll be a 5-point deduction.” So it goes.

I feel that in many of the events for the Winter Olympics it’s easy to overlook or forget that the competitors are human, very young humans. Buried head to toe in clothing and equipment, we don’t get to see much of the facial expressions or body language that we rely on to connect us with others.

This is probably what makes the stories and such that are shared about the athletes so impactful. Us humans like human stories. The majority of us can’t do any of the things they are doing, but we can strive to do “our thing” better. Crocheting, cooking, walking, talking, working, writing, mowing, fishing, parenting, sliding across the hood of your car Duke Boy’s style…whatever your thing may be.

Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter.