The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ambivalence as a state of “simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (such as attraction or repulsion) toward an object, person , or action.” It is exactly the state that I find myself (and perhaps many others do as well) as the 2022 Winter Olympics being hosted by Beijing has begun. On the one hand, there is the sheer spectacle of viewing many of the world’s best athletes compete in events that combine extraordinary athleticism with a similar measure of elegance and grace paired with events that question our very concept of sanity (skeleton, anyone)?
At one level, this aspect of the Olympics soothes our idealized version of an event that hopes to bring all of us together in appreciating the hard work and talent displayed by athletes representing so many nations on our planet. Who can ever forget the story of the Jamaican bobsled team of the Calgary Olympics?
However, there has always been a much darker side to the event where global politics reigns. Once again, the Olympics are reflecting underlying global tensions with the host country’s various policies and behaviors understandably resulting in a growing number of nations and individuals boycotting it in one form or another. So, as you sit in the privacy of your own home with remote in hand, what station will you select?
John Walsh
New London