Can you possibly cast your mind back just a few weeks to before the Olympics began?
Sometimes as a country
we are a little guilty of being..how can I put this..negative. You may
blame the media, certainly the tabloids seem to enjoy gloating about how
bad things are.
No one can deny that
this summer has had some of the worst weather that anyone can remember
and it's true to say that the weather affects all of our moods. Despite
that though the mood of a nation has lifted since the Olympic opening
ceremony.
Watched by nearly
twenty seven million people in the UK, and many millions more around the
world it lifted all of our spirits. It was a celebration of what it
means to be British and contained more wonderful music and great humour
than any other ceremony that I have ever seen. It was inspiring.
Danny Boyle may have had
the media rounding on him ready to complain about what he was doing but
they, like the rest of us, were enthralled by what he, and the great
team he worked with, created.
Who will ever forget
the forging of the Olympic rings in steel, the Queen talking to James
Bond and jumping out of a helicopter and even Mr Bean playing chariots
of fire. I loved the fact that rather than just go for spectacle Danny
Boyle chose to have one man playing one note on a keyboard and Rowan
Atkinson had the world smiling and Sir Simon Rattle rattled.
Since the opening
ceremony there has still been a little rain but it seems we have
temporarily forgotten about it. We are all swept up in the excitement.
For once the weather is not our only topic of conversation.
I have never been one
to watch much sport. I much prefer to be taking part myself, but I have
been as glued to the television as everyone else, willing our athletes
on to medal success.
Watching Bradley
Wiggings cycle his way to Gold victory, and seeing him hugging the
family that he has hardly seen recently, its a tough person who doesn't
find a tear of pride in their eye.
There is so much more
to come and my biggest hope is that we can take some of the joy and
pleasure and remember it once the Olympics and the Paralympics have
ended.
Don't forget those
smiles, the good will and all those feelings of pride that we have all
felt this past week. It has only been a week since the opening ceremony
and yet the nation has seen its level of happiness raised much like the
incredible cauldron rose just last Friday.
Enjoy the rest of the entertainment, stay proud and keep smiling. It has made us all feel better.
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