The Big Picture
River Radamus, a two-time Olympian, represented the USA in the men's slalom final. He skied. He didn't win, but he skied. In a world hurtling towards oblivion, this feels like a win for… something. For the continued existence of skiing? For the human spirit's stubborn refusal to give up on sliding down snowy hills really fast? Jury's still out.
By the Numbers
Two Number of times Radamus has competed in the Olympics, a testament to either incredible skill or an inability to find a different hobby. One The sole American in the event, meaning he carried the weight of a nation's ski-related hopes (probably). Zero The number of medals won. But hey, participation trophies are overrated anyway. A lot The amount of snow involved. We're guessing. It's skiing. $Priceless The cost of existential dread experienced while watching other people achieve things.What Changed
The shift? Probably the Earth's rotation, the relentless tick-tock of the clock, and the slow decay of all things. Also, perhaps the increased competitiveness in the world of slalom skiing. Maybe everyone else just got better. Or maybe River had a bad day. Or maybe the universe is fundamentally unfair and rewards effort arbitrarily. Your pick.
Why It Matters
Because novelty is the only thing that slows down the perception of time passing. Watching someone else hurl themselves down a mountain on skis might be just the distraction you need to forget about your student loan debt, the impending climate apocalypse, and the fact that you haven't called your mother in three weeks. Besides, if we don't celebrate the small victories, what's left?