From Hero to Zero in Six Short Years
23 December 2018 Leave a comment
Re-watching the one hour BBC special “The Golden Games” about the 2012 Olympics.
It’s painful – physically painful.
It recalls a time, just six short years ago, when this country could hold its head up high and be proud of itself instead of head down and ashamed.
It was a time when we showed the world how to do it right instead of be a model of how things should not happen.
It was a time when people of vision created and shared something unique and truly magical instead of withdrawing behind hatred and insular arrogance.
It was when we said to the world, “Come join us, it’ll be fun” – and it was, instead of telling everyone to go away because we don’t like you.
It was when tens of thousands of like-minded people gave their time and energy for free to help our city and our country look good and to give everyone else a great time instead of railing against our neighbours and withdrawing from everything that means anything.
It was when we had influence and power and showed how to use it for good instead of being a mean-spirited nobody hiding in the dark fringes of civilisation.
It was a time when being British wasn’t embarrassing.
I miss that time, just six short years ago. I miss it terribly.