Love, Hate, and All That Skate

I saw the better part of a figure skating program on TV this afternoon. I'm never sure whether I like skating or not. I mean, I like it. But these people's dreams sometimes hang on the thinnest of blades. It's easier to watch the showcases, where it's all about fun and showmanship instead of technical perfection and competition. But still, it's hard to watch.

Is it because, like so many other girls, part of me wanted to be a skating princess, and longs for that glittery dream that I'll never have?

Yep. Of course that's part of it. But I think it's more than that. I think there's also a feeling that creeps up whenever I watch a classical performing art form, like ballet -- there's a world of beauty and discipline that I relate to, and while part of me wishes I could do the beautiful things I'm watching, I'm confident that, had dance or skating been my focus instead of music, I would have grown to hate it just as much. Because it wasn't music's fault. It was me. Or rather, all that discipline didn't mesh well with my temperament. Or too well. A perfect storm of legalism.

So I won't be doing any serious skating anytime soon, then.