I caught a bit of figure skating on television today. You know, it's a lovely sport to watch, even though I'm dead uneducated about it. I can't tell the difference between a triple axel and a triple scoop of rocky road, but it's still quite exhilirating to see these lean, athletic people flinging themselves across the ice at breakneck speeds without, well, breaking their necks.
The costumes can be quite beautiful, and the music is usually dramatic and sweeping, and the commentary… well, never mind the commentary. I don't know how these analysts can tell what kind of jump the skater just did, let alone whether or not it was a good one. Even in the slow motion replay, I just shake my head and say, "Yeah, well, it looked good to me." Unless they fall on their arses, I can't really see the mistakes.
But then, that's why I'm not a figure skating commentator and they are.
But, you know, as beautiful as it all was to see, I found myself wondering at various points throughout the proceedings, "Are these really useful life skills I'm seeing here?" Read the rest of this entry »
