Well, ohmigosh, were you all watching the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Games on Friday night?? Despite some initial misgivings I had about Chicago's hosting the Games in 2016, I admit that I got extremely beligerant watching the ceremony and hearing about some of the other candidate cities for 2016. I mean, what does Rio have that we don't?? And keep dreamin' Madrid, it is all about Chicago! Does it really matter that we don't have the space, the transportation system OR the infrastructure to host a major international event? Not so much. Daniel Burnham once urged the city to "make no small plans" in the creation of the World's Fair and now, generations later, we are carrying the torch of his legacy.
And speaking of carrying the torch, the clock is ticking. We've got 8 little years to start planning a completely awesome opening ceremony, and I'm thinking we've gotta start like, yesterday. Chicago has a rich history that can be used to create some very strong imagery. I don't have details worked out just yet, but for instance, the White City would be kind of cool to bring back to life, opening-ceremonies style, glistening and glittering and lit up by lightsticks.... past, present and future, all in one....
And of course, maybe the most famous Chicago story, the Great Chicago Fire, would have to be incorporated somehow, and I think I've got a Plan. As the Olympic flame is relayed into the stadium, passed from hand to hand of various famous Chicagoans, the last runner runs up many many stairs to a gleaming white platform and there's a cow standing there. Not a real cow, a sort of dancing cow, Mrs. O'Leary's cow, to be exact. And she's smiling and dancing and she's so happy to see the runner she sort of knocks the torch out of his hand.... and into the Olympic cauldron below them, which lifts high into the air above the stadium. Welcome, children of the world!
Come on, it would be fantabulous.
No comments:
Post a Comment