Never mind that long before the opening ceremonies in Tokyo, Biles had proven herself to be arguably the greatest female gymnast of all time, with a combined total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals to her name. If she had retired long before this week, she would still be considered one of the greatest athletes to ever live — and one who had earned more respect and honor, and brought more glory to her country, than 10,000 editors at The Federalist.
So why would so many rabblerousing ideologues cruelly spew venom in the face of a national hero at a moment of rare public vulnerability? Because that’s what the culture war does: It promises to transform every person — as long as he or she can plausibly be assimilated into the ranks of the cultural Enemy — into potential fodder for political gain.
I want more. I want to be surrounded by those who are positive and invested in me; I want to be positive and invested in others. I want to laugh really, really hard, a lot. I want to let go of the things not meant for me – friendships that are not fulfilling, relationships that are painful, memories that haunt. I’m ready to write more, create more, read more, adventure more. I’m ready to embrace and enjoy life for what it is and push to have positive experiences.
