The title of this post is the official Olympics motto ("Faster, Higher, Stronger") and of course it's my signal that I'm in an Olympic mood. In the interest of full disclosure I'll state up front that my Olympic moods can run hot and cold. I generally enjoy watching the games, learning about the athletes and cheering when American athletes win. On the other hand, as a "communications professional" and self-proclaimed media watcher/critic, I recognize that a lot of the television coverage is an exercise in emotional manipulation (this athlete's rags-to-glory Olympic story, that athlete overcame crushing adversity or illness, this one is dedicating his medal to his beloved granny who raised him...) and I don't like having my emotions manipulated. The whole thing is also a great big corporate promotional money-fest, with political and power overtones, and that's annoying too.
Still, I was watching the Today show this morning and I did find myself enjoying the interview with the U.S. women's gymnastics team. It's five women, ages 15-18, I think, and it really is hard to imagine what their lives have been like to get them to this point. The girls, (and yes, since they're teenagers I'm comfortable calling them girls,) were an intriguing mixture of world-class athlete, intense competitor and giggly teen-agers who were hoping to meet Usain Bolt. They were charming and I was charmed. I also liked their cool hot-pink competition outfits. So for me today, it's "Go Gymnastic Girls!" I'm hoping you kick some butt and win some gold in your competitions.
By the way, Wikipedia helpfully notes that the Latin words in the motto are comparative adverbs, not adjectives. Who knew?
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