The Winter Olympics: Inspiration

Kajillions of words are spewing forth about the Vancouver Winter Olympics, so OldSouth will be brief.

1. Curling is, well, mesmerizing to watch. Whoodathunkit?

2. It takes real courage to strap on skis and take on the downhill course. It appears to be an accomplishment to cross the finish line on one's skis, in one piece.

3. It takes something else entirely to compete at Skeleton: e.g. heading down the bobsled track face-first, six inches off the ice, at eighty-five miles an hour. Them folks gots stones!

4. But the best thing about this event are the huge smiles that come across the faces of the competitors as they cross the finish line. Even if they don't place in the top three. The common theme seems to be:
I did it! I got here, crossed the line, and can go home and get on with my life. And I've got some great stories to tell. I'm so grateful I got to do this.

Contrast this with, say, what one encounters in the NBA, or NFL, NHL...

P & G Scores Big With Their Olympic Ad

Proctor and Gamble will weather our present troubles. They make the everyday products the world consumes.  Pampers, Crest, Tide, Pepto-Bismol, the list stretches on.

They also have execs in place who have the intelligence and insight to commission ads like this for the Winter Olympics. It's brilliant stroke, as they build the brand value and barely mention any of the products they sell. There will be time for that later. For now, they spread good cheer and good will.