Olympic Proportions

With the Olympics not quite ready to wind down there is trouble and unrest in the neighboring country of Ukraine. Dogs of Sochi have been in the news too. Hate crimes exist and intolerance persists. There is despite all Putin’s window dressing an ugly underside to his little piece of the world as can be found most anywhere these days. The need for the ring of steel to protect the games from terrorism is another sad indicator but I for one am happy that it has worked and hope that it continues to do so. The reporters continue to report that they feel safe at the Olympic venues and that is a good thing too. It has been interesting to learn about the rich and varied culture of the Olympic host country from my perspective, as a student that went through the under the desk drills during the cold war. Then there is the whole business about why Russians don’t seem to smile very much. Apparently they have considered the American smile, especially smiles found on posters and propaganda, to be too superficial. The Russian smile is purportedly more sincere. I have noted the Russian’s victory smiles as they garner gold medals in the Olympics and they look like everyone else’s to me. I’m glad they have something to smile about and hope that in time they discover that we aren't much different from them. I hope for an end to unrest and the beginnings of tolerance in their lands and lives so they can find more reasons to smile.