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We're Not Just Nice and Polite Anymore

The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver had a horrifyingly tragic start.  The death of Nodar Kumaritashvili on the day that the games officially opened gave such a sad start to such a happy event.  That same night, the opening ceremonies arrived at their pinnacle, only to have a mechanical malfunction take away more attention on Day 1.  With the world watching, Canada's image was going through some incredibly difficult times.

Now, as the goodbyes are said to the games, Canada has rallied.  The medals that have been won by Canadian athletes on Canadian soil have been tremendous.  The efforts that have been shown to the world have been incredible.  Still, the 2010 games should be remembered here in Canada for something else.

Canadians have always been known for their quiet and polite nature.  We do say thank you and we try to say please and we will lend a hand to help someone out when we can.  What we are not known for is being patriotic and nationalistic.  We don't fly our flag all over and we don't toot our own horns.

Until Vancouver.

There have been very few games of any kind that could be called as emotional as the games that have just taken place in Vancouver.  Maybe it was the troubled start to them.  Maybe it was the worry over the lack of medals for Canada in the first week.  Maybe it was all or none of those things.

No matter what the root cause, the emotion has come shining through.  When you add up the population in Canada, very few people actually made it to Vancouver to see the games.  Being there, would give you a pure perspective on how much feeling has come flowing out of Canadians over the two weeks of the Olympics.  Not being there has given the rest of us a window into how this country is changing.

We don't have to be quiet anymore.  We don't have to feel uncomfortable about yelling from the mountaintops that we live in Canada and we believe it is the greatest country there is. 

Everyone in Vancouver has demonstrated the newest character traits of our country.

Emotion and pride.

Congratulations to everyone who had a hand in these games.  The rest of us owe you a lifetime of gratitude.