One Moment in Time

Since the Olympics is upon us again, I might as well admit my long fascination with the song "One Moment of Time," memorably sung by Whitney Houston in 1988, and often used as a sort of background music for highlight reels.

I want one moment in time

When I'm more than I thought I could be

When all of my dreams are a heartbeat away

And the answers are all up to me

Give me one moment in time

When I'm racing with destiny

Then in that one moment in time I will feel

I will feel eternity.

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My mind follows a well-worn chain of association from these words. Think of an older athlete, say 70 years old thinking and perhaps talking about his marvelous 'moment in time' fifty years before. Like one of the two characters in the Springsteen song "Glory Days," but let's stick to the Olympics.

"Ah, yes, in the fifteen hundred meters in the Olympics of that year -- I was just hitting my stride at the three-quarters mark. Jones and Malique were both just ahead of me but tiring. It was just the three of us -- nobody was closer than four paces behind me. I got my second wind and whipped past both of 'em. Time seemed to stop. Jones finished just one step behind me. Behind me by, you might say, just one moment in time. He was ticked OFF. Malique was a step behind him, but old 'bronzy,' as I called Malique later, was a better sport about it that Jones. It was magical. Well ... not to them."

What have you been doing since your gold medal?

"There were lots of offers at first -- commercial endorsements, spots on the board of trustees of various institutions -- I picked a few, made enough money to make some wise investments and have rather coasted through life since."

So that moment in time was IT? You didn't work to create other feelings of eternity?

"Frankly, everything else seems anti-climactic once one wins one's race with destiny. I held the world's record in the 1500 meters for MONTHS after that day."

Hmmmm. How are Jones and Malique doing? Do you still keep in touch?

From that question on the tracks diverge. There are different ways of having my elder athlete answer that question.

My dear reader: I will leave those answers ... all up to you.

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