The passing of the torch

With the 9th anniversary of the union of TC & Gordita coming up in a few days, I would like to start a reminiscence series, beginning today.


Back in 2002, when the Winter Olympics came to Salt Lake City, TC and I lived in Provo. When we heard that the torch was going to go by just half a block away from where we lived, we were excited. So we bundled up to protect ourselves against the bitter cold, and headed outside to wait to see the torch.



After a few minutes of waiting, a young man dressed in long johns holding what sort of looked like a torch ran by us quickly. People clapped and laughed. I tried to shoot a photo, but he passed so quickly that it didn't turn out. I wondered why the whole torch-running ceremony wasn't accompanied by more pomp, more official Olympics jogging suits, more security, but I didn't question it much. I mean, it's not like I'd ever had any experience with the Olympics.

Well, several minutes after the young man had run past us, I asked TC why we were still standing outside. He chuckled, thinking I was being sarcastic (which is weird, because I'm usually not at all, right?). He realized that I was serious when I asked him again if we could go inside (since it was so chilly) and he explained to me, between laughs, that the long john man was a spoof, a joke, a prank. The guy that was with us just looked at me like I was a nut job (and really, can you blame him?).

Sure enough, a few minutes later, a lady wearing an official Olympics jogging suit, followed by a black car with dark windows, carrying a brightly lit torch passed by. There was no question that she was official, and I was able to snap a nice photo of her. And we went back inside to finish our homework and warm up.

Every time I think about that evening, I snicker to myself, and sometimes I even snort (it happens). TC has that evening in his "Gordita is thick-headed" file, along with many, many other similar moments.