I've always been a pretty average person. I came from a good family, was given plenty of oppurtunities to succeed(and exceed my potential), played sports, had friends, stayed out of trouble etc. etc. I'm as average a person as you can get. I've never been good enough at anything to become a champion and never really stood out from the crowd in sports, academics, or even socially. I always did the thing that I thought everyone would feel is the right thing for me to do, I played it safe and rarely took chances. Even now, I'm just a Computer Science major at a 4 year engineering school, in a fraternity, but still very lucky to be in the situation I am in.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I understand that I could be much much worse off. It's just that I come to a point in my life where I wonder if anything I've done really matters. I'm already in debt several thousand dollars with college loans and I don't know if its even worth it. I don't work particularly hard to do what I do, I pretty much just live my life with a lack of substance. I always consider myself happy and often times I truly am. But, at times like these, where I see the greatest levels of emotion, the triumph of human athletic achievement, heck, even the dissappointment of coming up just short seems so exciting. The Olympics might be just a way to sell more advertising space, but ignoring the financial, political and social impact of the games, lets looks at the people directly affected.

To win, or even compete in something like an Olympic event is truly the culmination of a persons(and those who support them) day in and day out dedication. They give up their lives to become one thing, whether its a gymnast, a swimmer, a decathalete. I can't even imagine what it must feel like when they achieve greatness, or the crushing dissappointment of unmet expectations. No matter what happens they have done something spectacular and they get to feel levels of emotion that some of us can only dream about.

I guess what makes me rexamine my life are the moments I see greatness, in any manner of the word, and realize that I don't think I have what it takes to acheive it. Its like the moment you realize your childhood dream of becoming a proffesional athlete is never going to come true. When I watch the Olympics I see people my age or younger, going through the life stages which I am in or have just completed and I wonder, what could I have done to be there instead of on the couch.

Like I said, please don't take this as a priviledged whiny plea for attention. I just want to know if anyone has ever thought like this and if you have, what you did to get over it. I've always thought about dropping everything, ta

Enjoying the games so far.The scandal with that Chinese swimmer is leaving a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.I personally think shes on something,faster than Phelps and Lochte over the last 50 meters in the medley,this from a 16 year old girl? no way that is possible without some sort of enhancement.The Chinese are notorious pool cheats.

My thoughts are a whole heap of money are wasted on opening ceremonies - a bunch of pomp and circumstance.

Wow. I wonder how many people will skip the OP.

OT - Yea, I look at my peers and wonder what I could have done differently, or could be doing differently. I take comfort in knowing that the answer is mostly 'Never wear a condem.' But for those special few who have excelled past me, I don't think to myself that he's better than I am, just different, and I hope them the best knowing they're doing the same for me.

Sounds like anything extra with sports. AKA Superbowl half time show and the like.

The only thing I know of the Olympics is that Phelps has the most gold medals of anyone in the history of the Olympics. And that somehow Mcdonalds is the official restaurant of the Olympics. And that China and USA have been neck to neck in medals.

I know a lot more than I thought I did!

I'm interested as to why the USA team and China team have so many more medals than any other team. The closest right now to both is Japan with 13. That is a real big difference. Looks a bit fishy to me.

Roids and wealth.

Both countries with huge populations (China obviously with by far the highest) so more chances to produce good athletes. Probably better funding for sports programs and for the athletes as well.

I can't believe this is still happening.

Read the OP guys, come on...