A national fixation brought us together
With the curtain having fallen on the Olympic Games yesterday, we are all now returning to our everyday lives – without the anxiety, the joys and disappointments provoked by athletic competition. The organization of the most significant sporting event in our country has been our chief point of reference, especially over the past six months. We had been anxious about whether works would be completed on time, whether the Games would be safe, whether the Games would run smoothly or become a fiasco. There were many positive things about this national fixation on the Games. It pushed us to work together with passion and dynamism, focused upon one goal. And this rarely occurs in our country. So, the success of the Games – the organization, spectacle and the hospitality shown to guests – is widely regarded as the result of a concerted effort. The sense of satisfaction and pride is as widespread as our contribution to the success of the Games. Many query why the Olympics rallied the Greeks while other more critical issues – such as economic or foreign affairs – often provoke discord which undermines the common aim. The most fitting answer is that the Games invoked our sense of pride, as we sought to make an impression on the international level and therefore overcame our usual weaknesses.
