My measure as an American

I'm coming up on celebrating my one year anniversary as an American citizen. I've found myself singing along to the national anthem and putting my hand over my chest at various events throughout the year. I use my US passport, and identify as American. You would think that the Olympics would be a perfect for me, as an newly minted, enthusiastic American, to wave the red, white and blue.

You would be wrong.

I am trying to cheer for the Americans. And I do, when I see Shaun White fly higher into the sky on the halfpipe than anyone thought humanly possible, or when Shani Davis effortlessly (and humbly) passes everyone else on the speedskating track. I can cheer for good athletes. But as the US medal count grows, and the NBC coverage grows more obnoxious, and every event seems to have a miraculous American success story... I find myself feeling yet again that I just wish that someone else would win. I'm cheering against the American athletes, I'm wishing them to fall. I'd rather have almost anyone else win, except for another American to add to the USA medal count, which is already absurdly high. I can't help myself-- it is the Finn in me and the years of watching the Olympics, where underdogs won gold medals, where small countries with long winters dominated things and were finally recognized, at least for two weeks. It was about national pride, and seeing that shine for everyone. I have yet to hear a national anthem for another country (except for Canada in the opening ceremonies). And while i have good friends who watch olympics and love them (special thanks to aaron, valarie and james for sharing their tvs!!) there is a large population that just doesn't care. They don't know about hockey and don't care about hockey, so why should the US team win???

So much for being patriotic. Maybe in another 4 years.

Ahem. So, there is my soapbox. Please return to your regularly scheduled program of mid-afternoon curling.