Today Chicago could have been hosting the Olympics. Back in 2007 when Chicago was making the Olympic bid, the city was covered in posters promoting the Chicago bid. I went around the city photographing the posters.
Ask any Chicagoan today about the Chicago bid, and you’ll most likely get the response about all money it would have cost us. True. That is very true. For that I’m glad we didn’t win the bid. It seems people like to focus on the negative and complain about things.
However, I also like imagine the fun that it would have been. I like to celebrate things too. It would be pretty cool to have the entire world’s focus in Chicago for the couple weeks. Get back to the purity of the sport. Let companies post images of the athletes they sponsor. Let the media make GIFs. Let people celebrate and share.
In my imagination, we have the Olympics in Chicago today. Today I will be performing in the sidewalk crack jumping competition. Tomorrow my family will be in the dancing competition at a wedding. On Sunday my three-month old daughter will be showing off her skills in the “how many people can hold me in one day” competition at a birthday celebration.
Will world records be set? Maybe. Will much fun be had? Yes. In memory of this possibility, I am wearing my Chicago 2016 t-shirt.
Today’s challenge: Use “Stir the Soul” in a regular conversation. (that was Chicago’s tagline for the Olympics.)
Ask any kid that grew up in the 80s if they had their own Olympics in their backyard or street, and I bet most did. Maybe this would be true of kids from other decades, but being an 80s kid myself, I know all my friends made up their own events. In our Olympics, we had wiffleball, croquet, and Big Wheel sidewalk races.
I don’t know about you, but this coffee today sure does stir the soul.
Your perspective and outlook on life stirs the soul, Matt Maldre! 🙂