The Olympics can inspire everyone, even non-athletes

I am going to die, but I’d rather live free than hide every time I see a bus rolling down the street.

I am going to do the thing, go to that place and laugh real, real loud.

The gross opposite would be not doing the thing, going to the place or laughing real loud.

How boring and how sadwouldthatbeatthe end of my days.

There are as many good sayings about regret and wasted time as there are about fear.

New Zealand Writer Katherine Mansfield seems to have had it right with t his one attributed to her: “Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good forwall owing in.”

Your deathbed would be a horrible place to realize she was right. Contact this reporter at 937225-2384 or email Amelia. Robinson@coxinc.com.

Football season is over, and for millions of Americans, PSBD (Post Super Bowl Depres- sion) has set in. It’s a real thing for a lot of die-hard NFL fans. But, wait, this year we have a cure! The Olympics are on.

One of the reasons the Super Bowl is such a big deal is that youa re watching the best play- ers in the country compete against each ot her,andt hey play very hard. It’s thrilling and emotional and too much fun — even if you are watching alone.

Now think of this. The Olym- pics features the best com- petitors from not only the USA but also the rest of the world. And watching anyone who is the best at what they do is like a virtual visit to the top of Everest. You’d never be able to do it yourself, but you have to admire those who pour their entire li vesintoasport andemergeontop.

For me, it’s an emotional experience, a nd I know a number of people who openly weep at the beauty and magnificence of the se world-class athletes. Sure, I wa nttheUSA to win, but I also want to see who else is out there, because they all have something to off er. All right, I’mn otacur ling fan, but watching Shaun W hite go for a third Gold Medal kept me on the edge of my couch.

Successful Olympic athletes dovery specifi c things to help them get there. They all have different training methods, routines, and ways of push- ing themselves — or making excuses not to ( just like us mere mortals). It has to be hard to say to yourself, “I lost because I didn’t do what I needed to, even though I knew it at the time.” Huge li feles- son, learning to listen to that inner voice.

When you spend your entire life working on something, anything, and you make it to an “Olympic level,” the feeling of pride is so motivating that you never want to stop. We all have to change as we grow older, and these world-class athletes go through the same emotional roller-coaster rides that the rest of us do when we are working to get to the top or areretiri ng from it.

Something else we can all learn from our Olympic athletes is to know when it’s time to stop pushing and to take a seat in the stands or coach someone e lseon.It’sgr eat to see those rare five-time Olympians and the coaches who have been there many more times.

There has to be a game plan beyond the going for the gold, and those who have created that in their lives are probably feeling good about things. Unfortunately, we do hear about those athletes who have fallen into distress or dishonor — they even make movies about it. But they are the rarity.

Mostathletesgetupevery morning before dawn, ea t raw eggs, or work out for hours a day while still going to school — and that’s just to get to the trials. That kind of personal discipline c an m akey ou great in many other ways and is a springbo ard toa brighter future.

So yes, it is wort h giving these athletes my time and attention. I not o nly e njoy the thrill of the Olympics but come away in awe, inspired to be a better man. Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a i estlake Calif., is the author of "Th Happy Couple: How to Make Happiness a Habit One Loving Thingat Time." Follow his daily insights on Twitter @BartonGoldsmith