OLYMPICS

“Where does a story truly begin? In life, there are seldom clear-cut beginnings, those moments when we can, in looking back, say that everything started. Yet there are moments when fate intersects with our daily lives, setting in motion a sequence of events whose outcome we could never have foreseen.”

—       "A Bend in the Road" by Nicholas Sparks

   It's that time again. The time for the Summer Olympics. The time when we show our pride in the country we forgot we were a part of. The time when we remind ourselves what it truly means to be American in this terrorstruck world. 
   So my main point today is figuring out the 'road' an Olympic athlete must take to get to where he or she is this year, in London. Obviously, there should be the dream. This dream starts at many different times for people. Sometimes, there is no dream for the person, but for this case, there just is. The dream starts when a person starts to realize his or her talents. This could be the person making headlines in the paper for the first time or being noticed by a scout for a college. But there will always be the notion inside the brain that this person can become so much more that a local hero. There are bigger fish to fry.
   To truly become great, you must first learn that becoming the best requires a need for success, comparable to a need for oxygen. You must wake up in the morning with the same dream, and fall asleep with satisfaction. The satisfaction of trying your hardest no matter what was in your way. Only then could you know that you were doing everything possible to reach your peak.
   Always remember that the Olympic judges do not have bias. Athletes are judged purely on talent. No matter how much money your family has, talent cannot be bought; it must be earned. And NO amount of money will get you a gold medal (unless someone puts it on eBay...). There is no way to bribe officials plus that would be illegal so don't even try. Of course, it does help to have money for training purposes, but in the long run, natural ability prevails. 
   It is sad that my Olympic dream will never have truth unto itself, for Baseball has been eradicated from the Summer Olympics for the time being (SAD FACE). No matter what I do now, I fear I will not be able to represent my country. I guess becoming a pro athlete requires the same mentality of being an Olympic one, without the national pride stuff, so that's the best thing our country has to offer now. 

~I fear this did not make any sense. I'll keep you posted.