The Back Story
by Your Diva, Robin Pastorio-Newman

When Your Darling, Your Diva, Your One True Love – she who is seldom at a loss for words – can’t think of a thing to say she takes out the nail polish bag. The bag is full of colorful little bottles, emery boards in various states of use, an antique manicure kit and shocking pink toe separators. First, off comes the old polish. Then the hands are scrubbed to remove unpleasant chemicals, and oiled to prevent damage. Nails are filed to a fetching curve. Two layers of base coat are applied and permitted to dry.
 
Few stories from the Olympics elicit emotion from the interested and disinterested alike like Paul Hamm’s. The Men’s Individual All-Around champion in gymnastics is beset on all sides by persons with advice and demands. Bad behavior was everywhere: A USA Today columnist insisted Hamm should return the gold medal so it could go to a wronged Korean athlete. The International Gymnastics Federation turned into a playground bully and issued a letter claiming to speak with the authority of the International Olympic Committee asking Hamm to return the medal. The Olympic Committee magically transformed into a supersassy teen and said, "Oh no you didn’t!" The US Olympic Committee became a Jersey chick, shouting, "Stay away from my man!"
 
Hamm remains angry and defiant. In his view, he played by the rules and won. In the Federation’s view, mistakes were made and either a Korean or an American paid the price, and the American could better foot the bill.
 
Bless us, this story is not going to end happily or anytime soon. Your Beloved has an opinion on the matter, but that’s not really useful. What would be useful: a thorough soul-searching at the Federation on the matters of who’s judging, and what to do when something goes wrong. Plainly, the current rules fail, early and often. The rules fail at every Olympics and athletes’ lives are ruined, no exaggeration. It’s time everyone knew what game was really being played, here.
 
Next, two layers of nail polish are applied and permitted to dry. After that, two coats of top coat. If by this time, Your Delight has not lost her composure and typed an article with wet nails, the manicure is complete for another week. But then, sometimes articles and repairs just happen.
 

©2004 Robin Pastorio-Newman