Her name is Teresa. She was a tour guide, an archaeologist, she's traveled all over the world and speaks five languages. She rummaged around her apartment and gathered together three books, authored by her, that have been published in Greece. We sat together on antique chairs with pink silk and she told me all about her scandalous theory; the Olympics did not come from Greece. They came from China. She produced two books she's written on the subject showing the similaries between ancient Chinese and ancient Greek cultures, little clues found in ancient statues and folky customs.
"Why are the Olympic Games held every four years? No one bothers to ask the question, but I know the truth."
According to Teresa, there were four kingdoms in ancient China and the emperor would visit a different one every four years. In his honor they put on a show of athletic and artistic competition.
Book stores refused to carry her book.
"Sometimes I think I"ll be killed for my ideas!" she said, half joking.
Teresa believes that the ancient Chinese culture is actually older than the ancient Greek culture, and (interject my own translation of her theories) just as the Romans and other Western Europeans took ideas from the Greeks, the Greeks took from them.
I took this and ran.
"Maybe it's not a coincidence that the Chinese Olympic games of 2008 happened right after the Greek games of 2004!"
She just stared at me. No, Teresa doesn't believe in universal design. It was just a coincidence.
Two of the books waxed about her theories and comparisons of China to Greece, one written in English and Chinese and the other in Greek. The third, also in Greek, was a collection of memoirs that she wrote during a great adventure she had in Israel in the 1950's. The cover shows a beaming, happy, healthy girl. Teresa smiled nostalgically.
"See, I was like you in those days."
She thinks she worked too hard, smoked too much, didn't get enough rest and it finally caught up with her. There was a moment in my brain that flagged this warning, even if I don't smoke, even if I think I'm taking moderately good care of myself. The warning was to not take for granted health, youth, and vitality. Simple, no? But I forget sometimes. Just gets choked out by all of the other things that seem wrong with me.
We talked a little more about her "discoveries" (she was always saying that. 'Here's another of my discoveries...) and in spite of a nice soup simmering on the stove and an invitation to lunch, I wasn't able to stay (the blasted meeting) but promised her I would stop back in when I could. I had hoped would be much sooner than when I obviously will, meaning it hasn't happened yet.
it will, it will. Why do certain people land in our paths? Teresa might believe in coincidence, but I know the truth.
