Friday, August 8, 2008

opening ceremonies

I watched part of the opening ceremonies for the summer olympics tonight. I had mixed feelings. It was a gorgeous artistic endeavor .The tai chi demonstration with thousands of people moving fluidly together was thrilling. I thought about China being a country where millions of people do Tai Chi in the morning in parks before work. The costuming was lush and intricate. The female dancers and the male oarsman who have perfected their art forms and moved together with such precision were all beautiful. The fireworks were exciting. There was also a spiritual component woven through it all that combined taoism, buddhism and confucianism like that we are all the drops of water and the water at the same time. That was very moving. Also I kept thinking about how much it might have cost. Did it have to be that lavish? The commercials interspersed with the ceremony were also a huge expense. What are we trying to prove? Although I enjoyed the expression of creativity very much, part of me was offended by the conspicuous consumption. This is my fantasy. What if only half of the money was spent on a beautiful pageant and only half of the money was spent on the commercials and the rest of the money was used for helping people? Maybe it could be used to help athletes in countries where there aren't adequate resources. Maybe it could be used to feed hungry people. Maybe a statement could have been made about contributing to the sustainability of the planet as well as contributing to its entertainment and education. It's a nice fantasy. It seems important to have fantasies about how things could be. It keeps us from denying mixed feelings. I'm glad I got to watch the opening ceremonies. It is inspiring to think of all of those athletes who are the best in the world at what they do and 204 nations coming together to celebrate that. It also made me think. How can I give back in my life? How can I both entertain myself and contribute to the planet? How can I live my life with some awareness of how others are living without being self-righteous or hopeless about it? What is the balance inside of me of taking care of myself and showing up for others? What does genuine caring that comes from a centered place look like? What does that look like for you? I am now going take care of myself and go to bed so I can continue to ponder all of this tomorrow. Good night.

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