THE END OF THE 2016 SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

The closing ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games didn't feature any expensive big name rock stars, but instead featured the vocal talents of Julia Michaels---Not of Brazilian origin, but a Caucasian American from Davenport, Iowa (where she was born) and later from Santa Clarita, California (Where she lives now). Julia Michaels wrote songs for artists as diverse as Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, Little Mix, Rita Ora, Gwen Stefani and Nicole Scherzinger. This time, Julia Michaels got to sing her own material before the world. And thus brings the close to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in pomp and circumstance. It was great to see the Nations of the World to come together in peaceful athletic competition instead of in war, rage and paranoia. We don't need walls to keep out those who are different from us. We need to engage in peaceful conversation with those who are different from us in hopes of building bridges of peace and of hope.

Julia Michaels