I know there are many things about where we live that we find reason to complain about, but the last few days i have watched some of the Olympic games. I have always enjoyed this, but was stuck by sadness when I heard the commentators talking about one of the young Chinese gymnasts lives. They were saying how she was 20 years old, and when she was three years old, the government came and decided she would be a gymnast. I am not sure if she showed talent in it or not, but since then she only has seen her parents once a year. They said a few years ago, she called and begged them to let her come home and quit and her parents said no. they somehow benefit from her being a gymnast which has celebrity status there. <p> My heart just felt so sad for the young girls who are torn away from their families and have their coaches become their families, but not only that, a family with so little human nature or love that they desired status over their daughter, which was probably their only child. <p> It made me just so thankful that although our country has many problems, we are blessed in so many ways. I do not have to worry that my child is going to be taken from me to be a celebrity, even though they may show talents of one nature or another.
Oh my, that poor girl! We saw a documentary about China and they featured another little girl who had been put into gymnastics (by her parents? her choice? I can't remember) as a toddler, and lived at the school and all that. She said she dreams of being an olympic gymnast, but I just couldn't cheer. It was so sad. And gymnastics especially is *so* destructive to these young girl's bodies. Such a shame. :(
How sad…. :(
We here in North America do have much to be thankful for.
I never knew that, but it doesn't shock me coming from China. It is incredibly sad. You are right, we are very blessed. I sometimes fear that we will soon lose many of our rights though. I wonder if different times are soon upon us – maybe not that drastic, but different than we know now. Just my two cents.