Olympic Pins, Olympic Memorabilia, Olympic Docs 1972

In Germany during Munich 1972, Mark Spitz autographed two Olympic tickets inside the Olympic Village. 

I happened to be walking behind a few dorms where there were only a few people. Three men were standing together in deep quiet conversation. As I walked closer I realized Mark Spitz was on the other side of them.  As I congratulated him the men did not discourage me. So I chatted a bit longer with Mark about the games. I believe one of the men looked like his coach. They might have been thinking...let him enjoy and let her chat. It might be one of the last conversations he has in Germany. Why? Because the Olympic Village was in shock that day. The air felt sad and heavy because the Israeli massacre had occurred in the Israeli dorm the night before. Such sadness. What timing. My meeting Mark was right after he broke many swimming records and won his seventh gold medal, more than anyone else. I learned later that he would miss much of the glory of an Olympic Champion because, within minutes of our meeting he was to return home to the USA as soon as possible. Those Olympic tickets are tickets that tell stories. They were signed right after two famous events, one tragic and one glorious, and right before a Seven Gold Medal Champion was whisked away. 

Olympic Pins, Olympic Memorabilia, Olympic Docs 1968

During the month before the Mexico 1968 Olympics, Bert Quint of CBS News hired me. At that time he was head of Latin America Bureau. He knew his office would become busy. The timing was good for me and as he said, your resume will look even better after you have experience working at the Olympics. Although I had no time to even learn about pin trading I did receive a few as gifts, mostly thank you gifts. The items that are gifts are somehow more precious. When I left Mexico I had several items, some autographed, some not. Items like a musical rattle made from a gourd, a huge Prensa sign, a few pins, a basketball signed by many, some of the official printed results from our news room, other news releases and a few artifacts. One plak was made of knitting wool carefully applied to a 10" x 10" piece of wood in the shape of 1968. It is an ancient craft in Mexico. Amazingly, it was that craftsmanship that was the inspiration of the famous Mexico 1968 Olympic Logos! 

One of memory was the excitement (that still gives me a charge)of hearing Walter Cronkite on the phone!

(Hmm, wondering now...if news will ever become objective again.)

Sparking Olympic Flame Within

Now that France is brewing up excitement that the world is coming together for Olympics 2024, the small flame within this pacifist is beginning to glow brighter! (will start posting again soon : )

Yet again, many of us Olympic peeps still yearn still hope still pray for peace in the world...

May the hungry be fed,

and the well-fed...hunger for justice.