Figure Skating Wisdom from Socrates: Happiness

I read this blog post from Dumb Little Man a couple of weeks ago about Seven Pieces of Wisdom from Socrates.

In college I had a philosophy class or three and I’ve done my best to try to forget the whole painful experience. Yes, the unexamined life is not worth living. Yeah, yeah. Quiet. I’m trying to watch T.V.

Anyway, some of this philosophy stuff must have gotten though my skull to my bowl of mush because I found Dumb Little Man’s post very interesting and much more readable than anything Plato wrote. I also couldn’t help but insert the figure skating parent into each of these bits o’ wisdom.

Wisdom piece one, via Socrates and Dumb Little Man:

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Be Content.

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

Having a beautiful home and a gorgeous car will not make you content. Contentedness is birth from the inside, it’s a decision, it’s your choice. Things will never make you happy, happiness is a choice. (Dumb Little Man)

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Figure skating wisdom piece one, from Ice Mom:

Do not imagine that you will be happy when your figure skater is finished with Learn to Skate or has passed a certain test. Enjoy each level. Take a ton of photos. Laugh with your skater. Hug you skater when she needs it. Celebrate with her when she achieves her goals.

Do not put off your happiness until your figure skater achieves a certain level, passes a test, or skates a clean program at some competition. Happiness is not a destination – it’s a journey.

Happiness corollary from Ice Dad:

I will be truly happy when that kid takes up jogging.

You know me. I can’t take too much of this serious stuff. No wonder I didn’t do that well in logic, philosophy, and some class called The State as a Concept (*yawn*). Let’s have a list of figure skating things that would make me truly happy. Well, maybe happy for a day, which isn’t bad, either. The ends justify the means, right? Or is that wrong…I can never remember.

Figure skating parent happiness is:

• Cheap, empty ice
• A rink less than 10 minutes from the house
• Sleeping late. Just once
• A skater with a driver’s license
• Volleyball
• Reliable, free wifi Internet service at the rink

Alright, parents. We can’t let this blog post become TOO philosophical. Feel free to comment on the Socrates bit or add to the Figure Skating Parent Happiness list. I know you have a happiness dream. Go ahead and share!

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Tomorrow, June 30, on Ask the Expert:

1988 Olympic Mens Figure Skating Champion Brian Boitano

Boitano now has a show on Food Network, What Would Brian Boitano Make? He will answer the questions readers submitted earlier in the month about figure skaters and nutrition.

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Photo Credits:
Golden Retriever: Muffet on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Socrates: bencrowe on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Happy Frog: avmaier on Flickr.com Creative Commons