I'm very lucky to have friends from all over the world, many of them living in Canada. They are literally from everywhere--from Egypt to Saudi Arabia to India to Kenya. And guess what? They were all up at that ungodly hour of the morning, wearing their Canada uniforms or red and white outfits, cheering Canada on. Now, I need to note here that most of these people are not Canadian citizens--at least, not yet. They have all been here for quite some time, working and attending school..yet they were just as patriotic as their Canadian counterparts. How is it that one simple game can bring them all together? How is it that a Saudi and a Canadian can hug each other with tears in their eyes when Canada won gold? And why is it that we can't be together like this in every aspect of our lives?
People love to belong and be part of something bigger. With all the politics and money involved in organized sports, it has become an ugly game. It's no longer about the game, it's now about how much money can be made off said game. I mean, what kind of a world are we living in when a guy chasing a soccer ball across a field makes millions more than the UN President? Be honest here--who holds more responsibility on his shoulders? I am against these over-glorified, over-paid and over-celebrated games that we call organized sports yet I stand in awe at how it can unite people who normally wouldn't be so kind to each other. We all have a stereotype of different ethnicities and judge people based on these misconceptions. A Saudi man?--oh, he must have a bunch of wives that he doesn't respect! Chinese girl?--she must be a math genius!, Canadian guy?--he must be all about ice hockey...and the list goes on and on..
Many of these cultural stereotypes come from cultural generalizations, but are misinterpreted, exaggerated, and twisted into something offensive. Yes, many Canadians love ice hockey, and yes, I know many Chinese people who are great at math. But I also know numerous Canadians who can care less about hockey and I have Chinese friends who are completing their Master's in Communications.
So at 5am, we have thousands of people of completely different cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds, all cheering on Canada--together. And guess what? The police and EMS reported no issues, even with the presence of alcohol! So it IS possible for us to coexist without stoning each other..Sadly, many of these people will probably not come together again (or at least not until the next gold game Canada plays). Why is that? Why are we able to accept each other's differences when we have a game to win, but as soon as the game is over, we take a guard against each other? The minute the celebrations end, we stop being Canadian fans and start being the Muslim guy, Arab girl, Canadian man, Chinese woman, etc., and we start to separate. If we can get along and cheer on the same nation that we all live in, why can't we cheer each other on every single day of our lives? Of course there will be arguments and disagreements--that's simply human nature; but if only every day was a gold game in hockey...we would be the most loving and peaceful society in the world. I mean, Canada is one of the most peaceful and accepting countries in the world already, but racism, discrimination and cultural stereotyping still exist.
Canada is a cultural mosaic, not a melting pot. We all come from different places and arrived here at different times, but at the end of the day, we're all people sharing the same land, trying to achieve the same things in life. A mosaic is made up of numerous different pieces that all come together to form one image. We may all have different perspectives, but that's what makes Canada the mosaic it is today.So let's pretend that every day is a game to win gold and let's all learn to accept each other with our differences. This is the only way that our human mosaic will survive for generations to come and it's the only way we will win the gold medal in humanity.
When Christians and Muslims are killing each other, men and women are hurting one and another, a Turk cannot get along with a Greek, and the lawyer down the street can't stand his neighbor for his "back-dated" beliefs....let's show the world that yes, we are different..but no, we don't have to shoot each other for being different. We can love, embrace and live together as one society. We can share some beliefs and differ in others. Affection and respect do not have borders and boundaries; and love does not have a skin colour, nor does it belong to a particular religion.
That chilly Sunday morning in February, it wasn't only the men's hockey team that won gold; it was all the people that cheered them on together as friends, as coworkers, as families, as Canadians....ultimately, together as people.
A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
-Mahatma Gandhi
~SW
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