Leading up to the start of the Olympics there were a lot of negative news stories about Beijing. The pollution, the closed factories, the displaced families after places were torn down to make room for new buildings, the hardship of the countryfolk who must conserve water to make it available for Beijing.
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I caught myself giving in to the negative. Sheesh. Why would anybody pick Beijing
to host the Olympics? Then, when I heard about surface to air missles on standby...just in case.... the old terrorism fear starting... creeping into my imagination. Maybe this wasn't a "safe" choice.
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But then I watched the Opening Ceremonies. A perfect 10. Amazing. Stupendous. A creative balance of present and past. A triumph of the blending of high technology with the talents of thousands of people performing out of love of their country. And they performed with honor and respect and courtesy for all their guests. It truly was a coming out party for China. A billion people strong.
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It made me.... hopeful somehow. After all the negative images we have seen, stories of incredible hardship, government crackdowns, the treatment of Tibet, etc. All that faded away for a moment, and I retreated to the wonder of it all, and of course the beauty. It was like discovering that the bully down the block has a butterfly collection.
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