Katie Grimes, Coke, and Olympic Harmony

Courtesy: Charles Hartley

The world keeps changing. Yet in some ways, it stays the same.

Ocean waves keep breaking day upon day. The sand is still there. It’s always there seemingly forever. The beach was there before we were born and throughout our lives and will lie on long after we’re gone. Hydrangeas bloom in summer are especially irresistible at the beach.

And every four years, in one of life’s most reassuring traditions, the U.S. Olympic team including our spectacular swimmers travel somewhere and compete against others who are also elite from all around the world for gold, silver, and bronze Medals. We cheer. We cry.

This is not all, however. There’s something else you may not know that binds us now dating all the way yonder to 1971.

In a recent interview, Olympian Katie Grimes said her coaches encourage her to drink a Coke after her long races because it’s quick way to restore energy. She says she likes to drink Coke.

Coke will be Katie’s post-race drink. Across America and in many other places, Coke is today’s drink and tomorrow’s and yesterday’s. A timeless tonic.

And this was just as important a part of our lives when a famous timeless TV commercial came out titled “I’d Like To Teach the World to Sing” about how drinking Coke brings all of us together in “perfect harmony.” Check this masterpiece from yesteryear out:

Like the Olympics, the song is all about people like Katie drinking Coke all around the world and this being a ritual deeper than drinking a beverage. It’s an act of solidarity and like-mindedness – exactly what the Olympics are all about.

In these turbulent times globally, isn’t it nice we will all be able to get relief by watching all the Olympic swimmers and other superb and courageous athletes compete honorably and without discord? Amid chaos, the Olympics bring order and joy.

I was struck today reading these lyrics from the song:

“I’d like to see the world for once

All standing hand in hand.

And hear them echo through the hills

For peace throughout the land.”

Ah, yes, peace.

Not just throughout America and only Paris but all over the world, in every crevice.

Everyone joining Katie drinking a Coke.

All this got me thinking about this simple and sacred act, drinking a beverage after a long endurance test like the 1500-meter freestyle Katie swims, about the liquid we need to quench our thirsts, about the fact that Coke and other drinks are available to us.

Isn’t that nice to know? It makes me appreciate life.

I also appreciate exploration which I what I will start doing now. There are hundreds of different types of sodas beyond Coke and I wondered what it would be like if Olympic swimmers started drinking a wide range of sodas after their races and what those would be. It made sense, being competitors, that they would want to drink Crush Orange, Crush Grape, and Crush Grapefruit.

They want to crush their races — all of them — crush their fears of feeling pain, crush doubts in their minds, crush the Olympics. Crush the dragons of defeat and despair.

Others might go for the Mountain Dew Live Wire, Mountain Dew Code Red, and Mountain Dew Voltage.

All swimmers want to be live wires and high voltage because that’s how you post personal best times and win medals.

I would think it would be appropriate even if not true that Bobby Finke drinks Surge because he surges at the end of the 1500 and 800 freestyles to come back and win gold at the end. He would easily be named Bobby Surge Finke.

Whatever our swimmers drink, we want them all to be in perfect harmony with their teammates and competitors from wherever they are. We want them to show sportsmanship and class and strive for greatness because that’s what Americans do.

And afterward, we would all drink a Coke.

With Katie.

About Charles Hartley

Charles Hartley is a freelance writer based in Davidson, NC. He has a masters degree in journalism and a masters degree in business administration.