An Olympic Dream?

What struck me about the opening ceremony of the Olympics was the fervent use of children. At a time when the riots of last summer are still fresh in many people’s minds, it was pleasantly refreshing to see young people at the vanguard, unashamedly flying the flag for Great Britain.

Now you cynics out there may say this was done with a high degree of artifice, the kids themselves merely cogs in a corporate machine; a ruse whereby they were subtly exploited for the good of the nation (as one might find in any classic Dickens novel). Indeed, no one would question how great we Brits are when it comes to producing slick media extravaganzas to entertain the arduous masses.

But, how many of these kids were actually card carrying members of ‘Equity’? Were the smiles on their innocent faces any less contrived than those typically seen on their Chinese counterparts during the 2008 games? Who can say?

What is certain is that they pulled it off; the kids danced extraordinarily well to the various tunes and succeeded in propping up our waning image abroad, breathing in new life so the masses can suspend disbelief a little longer.  Perhaps, but It is on these young shoulders that the future of Britain shall rest, and I’m convinced that many smiles were genuine; what may have started as a quick buck, or just plain fun, transformed into something magical, something they will never forget for as long as they live, perhaps, an awakening of a new feeling of community, of hope for the future…a new beginning.