The Real Olympic Event

STANDING IN LINE!!! Don't let anyone tell you the Olympics are about world peace, and magnificent sport. Really, they are about standing in line.

Over the course of the two week party that was the 2010 Vancouver Winter (Spring) Olympics I stood in line a lot!. I mean like 17 hours a lot. And truth be told, perhaps about 3 or 4 of those hours was really worth it. But all this standing in line did something to this usually polite but not very friendly city. It made strangers chatty. Standing in line became the event in itself. Ironically only the locals seemed to be standing in line. I suppose because if you came for the Olympics you spent your time at the events, not standing in line for the free stuff. I met people from all over the lower mainland, but not a single visitor. And I have to say, we made a party of standing in line.

One woman offered me career advice, and I shared observations about the epic event with many. And then there was the bond that formed between 4 of us after an hour and a half of verbal wondering if we would actually get in. Conversation that hour was all about where in line we were and if we were past the 120 person cut off. Would we get in, would they tell us if we wouldn't so we could STOP waiting in line? Should we keep waiting until the official rejection? I think all of us knew deep down we wouldn't make it in. It was a true bond and we waited patiently- we had joined and bonded as a group, we needed to be rejected as a group.

That is until I abandoned them. Yes, I did the count, checked the logic again and decided to leave the line. The sighs and grown from my line buddies will be something I will remember. They tried to convince me to stay. As a member of that sinking ship I jumped, and abandoned them to save myself. Selfish probably, but logical. They felt betrayed. I wonder what would have happened if I had stuck around for our united rejection. I wouldn't have been surprised if we all went to lunch together, but instead I will just have the memory of making friends and leaving them, standing in line.