The London Olympics Cauldron: Beautiful
The cauldron of the London Olympic games was beautiful—a pleasure to view even far away on television. It outshone the Olympics itself!
It was comprised of copper petals, carried into the stadium by children of the world and assembled to be lit not by one famous athlete but by seven child athletes whose names will be remembered—at least for the time being—by only their families and friends. The children are left to dream of the day when they might compete and their story might be recalled. “She was one of the seven children to light the cauldron in 2012.” Such is the thing of dreams.
For all its beauty, the cauldron debuted to criticism. It wasn’t what people expected. It wasn’t big enough. It didn’t tower over the games. Where was the power? Where was the big statement?
Criticism waned as the games were played. It’s beauty overpowered the nitpicking. The petals grew on us!
The cauldron story usually ends when it is extinguished. But this Olympic Cauldron will live on all over the world as the petals are disassembled and sent home to each participating country.
It was never one big urn of fire—the same but a little bigger than the games of previous years. It was the assembly of individual flames that gave it power and beauty. It was powerful because it was thought through beyond the power of big. It will live in memory far longer than the cauldrons that were attempts at the colossal.
Well done, London.