Tiny Hero

Lin Hao, the nine-year-old Chinese schoolboy who survived the recent earthquake in Sichuan province, marches with basketball icon Yao Ming at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing. Of Lin Hao's class of thirty students, only ten survived; the boy dug himself out and then rescued two classmates from the rubble. During his ordeal, Lin Hao reportedly kept his spirits up by singing to himself.

Adjectives which might begin to describe the beauty and emotional power of the opening ceremony at Beijing haven't been invented, so I won't even try. The two photos above should enlarge if you click on them...the costuming detail is magnificent.

It's so moving to see the athletes of the world gather and relate to one another as friends and colleagues, away from the divisive elements of politics and religion. Apparently the delegations from North and South Korea again hoped to march in unity but their governments wouldn't approve the idea. Maybe one day we will get beyond such small-minded nonsense and learn to embrace our common humanity.