I’m sitting here trying to think of a worthy description for the opening ceremony of the olympics, and to be honest, I can’t think of a single word that does it justice. After watching it, there is no doubt that there is a great wave of pride and patriotism in China. Not to mention, two of the most powerful men in the world were on hand to see it. It was, as it should have been. The Olympic Games are supposed to be above and beyond political, geographic and ethnic differences. I’m sure there were those who tried to talk both President Bush and Prime Minister Putin out of attending, which, to say the least, would have been childish and self-defeating. Well these two men have compatriots competing in these amazing sporting events, and believe me, they are very proud of each and every one of them.

When you think of all the different countries competing in these games and all their athletes who have worked so hard for so long, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride for all of them. The amount of training that is required to qualify for the Olympics is absolutely mind blowing. These people and their families sacrificed a lot to earn the right to stand with their flag in that gigantic stadium in China. I take my hat off to each and every one of them.

There is some extra excitement for the people of the United States, his name is Michael Phelps. In case you haven’t heard of him, he’s the only person who can beat Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals. One of the United States itself marches into history, its own and ours. When you think of Nadia Comaneci and her march into history, you feel proud of her accomplishments. For those of you not old enough to remember, she was the first gymnast in history to earn a perfect score of 10. She eventually racked up five gold, three silver, and one bronze medals. She had an incredible career, and her country had an incredible athlete.

The current Olympic Games will produce more record-breaking heroes, all of them killing millions of people around the world. His march into the history books will be public, with the whole world watching. And one thing you can be sure of, each of them will have family, friends, and a grateful country that is full of pride!