The 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are already at their halfway mark, and true to form, so much history has been written and witnessed right before the eyes of the world.

I am a sucker for the Olympics.  My earliest memories of any Olympic games, either summer or winter, were probably the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona (unless you count Whitney Houston singing “One Moment in Time” in 1988, but that was it).  I vaguely remember watching Kim Zmeskal, Shannon Miller, Tatiana Gutsu and Svetlana Boginskaya, wondering how in the world they propelled themselves in the air (I’d then walk along the backs of our couches, pretending to be on the balance beam, and pissing my mom off for doing so) seeing the Dream Team and thinking, “oh that’s nice” and wondering what did the whole “Dan vs. Dave” thing mean?

Many more summer and winter games followed after that, and of course as I got older, I started to pay more attention to them, and started to realize just how big they are.  I always try to pay as much attention to the Olympics as I can, and I try to give my attention to certain events that aren’t very popular, but without maybe ten TVs going on at the same time in the same place, it’s probably not feasible (Unless you’re comedienne Leslie Jones.  Have you see her tweets?  She’s amazing.).

I’ve had my time in the sun as an athlete.  So what if it was from third through eighth grade playing volleyball, and if you want to count cheerleading, then yes, that was from eighth through twelfth grade. Bottom line is, I know that when you’re in any sport, there is a great physical demand required from you.  I’d be tired coming home from practices and games a total of three times a week during the respective seasons.

Now Olympic athletes…they do all of their training a million times more frequently and they train harder than I ever have for anything.  They epitomize dedication.  They sacrifice a lot in order to achieve the results they want.  I’m watching a brief vignette on TV right now on Simone Biles, listening to her say she’s always in the gym.  She missed homecoming, prom, many other dances, all the fun, usual stuff teenagers do.  Then I hear Aly Raisman say all the hard work is worth it.  And now look at them: they are Olympic gold medalists.  Not too many teenagers and young adults can say that.

It’s not limited to gymnastics.  Every athlete from every country participating, every event – that’s over 11,000 from 205 countries, in 306 events – has worked extremely hard for at least the past four years to be in these current games.  I’m not sure how qualifications work to get into the official games, but I know that Olympic Trials exist so I think it’s safe to assume that the road to the Olympics is a long one.  I mean they take place every two/four years for crying out loud (depending on how you look at it).

I would tell my sister how badly I feel for those athletes who finish last in any race – swimming, running, cycling, etc. – and she ALWAYS says to me, “It’s ok!! It’s an honor for them just to BE there!”  Yes, I get it.  But it still breaks my heart.  Perhaps because I tend to root for underdogs.  When she says this to me, she reminds me of how they are the best of the best from their countries and considering how many years it takes for them to get to the Olympics, just reaching the status of “Olympian,” is already a huge accomplishment.

My favorite part of the Olympics is the Opening Ceremonies, ESPECIALLY the Parade of Nations.  I don’t care how long it takes, it is an awesome sight to see.  I recorded the 2016 Opening Ceremonies on my DVR since I happened to be out to dinner that night and have yet to watch it, but I already know I’ll be paying more attention to the delegations with a small amount of athletes compared to the likes of the United States, or Canada, Russia, Brazil, etc.  There is something extra heartwarming to me about those small countries.  Probably because the representation isn’t spread across so many shoulders.  Sometimes when I see countries who send only ONE athlete I wonder if it’s lonely for them, staying in the Olympic Village with the rest of the athletes, no other compatriots (aside from maybe their coaches or something) to share the experience.  I’m sure it’s not like that though, I’m a firm believer that camaraderie knows no bounds.

In my opinion, the Olympics are the only two weeks where the world gathers together in one place, and plays together.  Everyone essentially is sharing a similar goal: to be the best they can be and if they’re lucky enough, win a medal.  For athletes, setting this goal in the context of sport and competition means that you are giving your all, you strive to win, compete in fairness, but there is a possibility you could lose and if you must lose, you lose with dignity, grace, and respect for your competitors, especially if they beat you.  Then you try and come back next time to do it again, and even better.

That Olympic Spirit gets me right here (I’m pointing to my heart).

And given the way 2016 has gone, isn’t that something that we should try to apply to life and our coexistence in general?