Figure Skating

It's what I do, and it's what I love. I first got into skating at a really young age (my momma took me public skating at age 4 and had to carry me off the ice kicking and screaming, so she enrolled me in lessons at age 5, so I've been recently informed), and I haven't missed a year since. When I started at University I skated about once a week, and did the same up until this year. Now I skate about twice a week, once through the University and once through the local skating club.

As much as I love skating, it's not a career. It's not even something I'm particularly amazing at, but I love it. It's a time and place where I can relax and be myself, and lately it has become an opportunity to meet new people and have a bit more of a social life (if you haven't noticed already, I'm a bit of a home-body). It's also a method of exercise and stress relief. However, there are a few... Things... About skating I would like to clear up.

We're not wimps. You go out there, fall out of the air onto your butt multiple times in a manner of minutes, and say we're wimps. Or do a 4 minute program full out and say that we're not athletic. Figure Skating is not always a team sport it is a sport. And there are teams out there - synchro is fairly popular (although after having multiple concussions because I was flung into the boards off the end of a line, I'm not a fan of doing it myself), and we have competed as individuals in a team (Highschool competition, for example. Which was a blast!). Also, we don't do "leaps and turns", we do "jumps and spins" although there are turns that we do (three turns, mohawks, brackets, counters, etc). The salchow is not the only jump out there (though it seems to be the best well known). And we do trip over our toe picks, just not as often as some people might think.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that figure skating is a huge part of my life, that I love it, and that there are a few misconceptions out there that need not be there. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them!! :)

Farewell all

Disney and Dreams

Come on, you knew it had to be coming (especially if you actually know me!), and here it is. Today I want to talk about Disney. Not necessarily the man himself (although he and his family did amazing things), but my relationship with Disney (again, not the man!), and why it is as it is. For me Disney is a beacon of hope and dreams. They're about dreams and dreaming, and they are always making someone's dreams come true. Disney is the symbol of hope and cheer on a gloomy day, or the thing that can pull me out of a slump. I find myself dreaming about Disneyland and reliving the wonderful memories I've had there when the going gets tough, and this helps me to push forwards because I realize that though those memories are in the past, there is plenty of time left to find new sources of wonderful memories.

Disney also represents to me youth, childhood, and play. It doesn't matter how old you are, when you start talking about Disney memories of when you were younger come up (often in association with the movies), and as you get older you get more into the mechanics of Disney (or at least I did!) and how it all works. For example, I now know some facts about the actual location of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland that I wouldn't have dreamed of knowing when I was younger, but this has ruined nothing for me. Actually, it has made me admire even more the abilities of the Disney Corporation, and want to learn more. The diversity of jobs that Disney offers and the opportunities that they offer seem to have no limits; Disney owns multiple corporations (including ABC television - or they're highly affiliated, I'm not sure which is proper to say) and outlets, and as they evolve they seem to gather more ground. Not only do they have their parks, television channels, and merchandise (including movies, clothing, etc), but they are slowly adding to their web domains. For example (and this is where my Disney nerdiness comes out) I follow Disney on both Facebook and Twitter, and also read their blogs (of which there seems to be more than one). They have several different websites for different things, and because of their fan base even sites not affiliated with Disney contain tons of information about Disney. They've grown to be accessible almost anywhere, and they're still growing.

And all this came out because one man had a dream. I don't admire Disney because they've grown and taken over so many different mediums, but because of the dream aspect. I'm a dreamer, always have been, and because of this I feel like I can connect with Disney. My dreams are different (I'm not thinking up movie ideas and such), but they're there and they're magical. Disney is similar - it's there and it's magical, and "it all started with a Mouse".. Or an idea, which evolved.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Disney isn't just a company and mass producer, it's a way of viewing life. I realize we can't walk around with our heads in the clouds, but without a dream, where would we be? Personally, I'd be pushing groceries for the rest of my life, possibly miserable, and not nearly as happy as I currently am. There are three steps that I see in life, and these three steps are always evolving: Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it.

Start with a dream or a goal, believe in yourself and your abilities, and apply yourself. Then, with perseverance and hard work, you will be able to achieve your goals. Or if you don't, you'll be able to say that you tried your hardest. Remember though, we're not out of time until the end of our lives, and there is still always time to dream.