8.4°C Not observed 
Based on the crowd at Old Mill Plaza Saturday afternoon, most of us allowed ourselves to succumb to Olympic fever, at least for a day.
And whatever one’s feeling about the Games themselves in B.C. (protesters traced the torch relay route), the celebration was a chance for us to create memories together.
Like last summer’s forest fires or a celebrity death, Saturday was a milestone for the people of Lillooet that will bring us back to a specific time and place when recalled.
Of course, everyone will have a different perspective and set of associated memories. A torchbearer’s Day 100 was nothing like a protester’s or a boy who will remember most fondly trying laser tag in his hometown for the first time.
Regardless, those recollections were created from a common series of events, and that is why they will bind us.
This writer certainly had a very eventful Feb. 6, complete with a spontaneous burst of “athleticism”. (Oh, heavens yes, those quotation marks are ironic.)
After joining up with the Olympic torch relay convoy and boarding its media vehicle at Seton Lake, he rode with the convoy to Old Mill Plaza and then to the other side of the Old Bridge.
At the bridge, members of the First Nations Snowboarding Team passed the Olympic flame to Alexis Leech.
Unfortunately, while walking down the road from Highway 99 to the bridge in an effort to catch some of the action, the writer noticed cars on both sides driving away.
He realized that the convoy was moving out to Xaxli’p, and there was effectively no chance of making it back in time to catch it. The odds of the convoy returning for the stranded were similarly low.
Ah, but he had a secret weapon: Olympic spirit! Just because there is no way to win does not mean one does not compete!
Clumsily sprinting in inappropriate shoes back up towards Highway 99, he pumped his legs until his stomach churned and his head throbbed.
And was it worth it? As he neared the top of the hill, the writer was able to catch a glimpse of the last of a provincial government truck pulling out.
Fortunately, he ran into a Good Samaritan who offered a ride to Xaxli’p. (Many thanks to Father Bob Haggarty for his kind assistance.)
Seeing the congested traffic at Fountain Flat, the writer got out, made a final dash down the highway, and was delighted to find the convoy still there.
Later, it was discovered that the media vehicle did in fact turn around and try to retrieve him, thus making his attempt to catch up inconvenient (for others, too!) as well as pointless.
But it sure was memorable!
When someone asks you about the torch relay celebration in 20 years, it will not matter if your memories are pleasant or unpleasant, just as long as you have them.
