Well I have to say that I don't know what I would do without figure skating! It is the best and I can't even start to describe why I love it so much! I do skating with a group of my friends (well three of them ) and recently 2 of them think of dropping out of skating since one of them feels like they have too much school workand that if they drop something it will be skating since it isn't their priority. and the other just isn't enjoying it. I can understand their reasons for possibly quiting.. but it still makes me feels sad. I don't know mabye I am spoiled for even having friends that do the same sport as me! It's just hard for me to understand how they couldn't like it as much as I do, since, well, I love it. that about raps up my little speech/rant type thing. If you actually read to the bottom, kudos to you! and thanks for listening. =)

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Methinks you need to make more friends at the rink .

My dearest friend in the whole world has never put on a pair of skates and never will. I would not think for a minute of asking her to, because she has a poor sense of balance, poor understanding of her orientation in space, and is in her late 50's (like me). Instead, I make other friends who are already in the skating world, and do encourage some "better balanced" friends to try it.

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I'll second that.

I have two groups of friends: skating and non-skating. My skating friends I have at the rink (I sometimes interact with outside of skating/rink life); while my other friends don't skate (and maybe don't fully understand why I do) but we do stuff together that doesn't involve skating (shopping, going out, etc).

You can balance the two worlds you live in (rink/regular world) quite nicely. It helps develop balance in your character also.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Who has time for friends at skating? Aren't you all working hard every possible moment?
Yeah, right.

Skating doesn't suit everyone, and it doesn't grab everyone. As the others have said, make friends at the sessions you go to. If you haven't already, perhaps it is because you had your existing friends with you.

You can still be friends with the others, even if they don't share your passion.

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Karen

I skate - therefore I am

Indeed, but it's not the same type of friendship.

I personally have seen several people start skating, then I become frientds with them, they keep skating and get fairly good, and then quit after a few months never to be seen again. That is seriously aggravating...

Puts things in perspective though, teaches me not to quit. Never give up!!

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Casey Allen Shobe | http://casey.shobe.info
"What matters is not experience per se but 'effortful study'."
"At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable" ~ Christopher Reeve

The first skating buddy I ever made was the wall. We were always side by side, and still remain best buddies.

I don't think I'd want my friends to skate. I've made friends with people at the rink, some of whom who I also see outside. It would be far less fun without them to share it with, though no less addictive.

However, as much as skating's a part of who I am now, I have other interests too. Seeing friends from different parts of my life stops me from forgetting that. Though I should make more time for them than I currently do

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"Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction. They may be summed up by the phrases:
(1) It's completely impossible.
(2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing.
(3) I said it was a good idea all along."
- Arthur C Clarke

Like others, I have two groups of friends: skating and non-skating.

I actually get to spend more "quality time" with my non-skating friends, mostly. My skating friends and I might have a few minutes to chat on the ice or in the dressing room but there really isn't much "free time" as everybody is working toward their own goals. To have a "real friendship" requires time and that means off the ice. Between home, work and skating, I don't have much free time off the ice either.

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I'm not an adult, so things might be different for me in this case, but I'll tell you abotu my friends and skating. I have a ton of freinds who are non-skating friends. I see them at school, and we hand out sometimes on weekends and such. Then I have my skating friends. I find it much easier to get along with skaters. They have the same passions as me, and they completely understand me. I always love getting to the rink early just to hang out with my skating friends. My skating friends are my closest friends of all time. I switched skating clubs this year, and so I never see my old skating freinds at the rink. I hang out with them almost every week. I dont' really have much spare time, but I make the most of it. At my new skating club the kids aren't as passionate about skating. Most of them talk for the entire session and don't care to work. I really don't understand it, but it's the way they are. It bugs me that they don't love skating as much as I do, but I've still become really close with them. It took a while, but I've finally been accepted into their group, and they're all awesome kids. Also, I skated at a different skating club over the summer, and the kids I met there are some of my best friends I have ever made. There are many different types of people, and many different types of friends. You can't force your friends to like the same things you do, and you can't even try to understand them sometimes. You just have to remember that they are your friends, and that they're your friends for a reason. My non-skating friends think that I'm crazy to skate as much as I do, but I don't care. Skating is who I am. It's something that I know I have to do no matter what.

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Live life on the edge......judges HATE flats!!!

Skating is past, present, and future. My life revolves around when I am at the rink, and when I am there, I am happy.

As you keep skating, you will meet other skaters on the ice (maybe even at different rinks) who are just as crazy about skating as you are. Those new people might become your best friends because you all love skating so much. But you also might find that if you really like someone, it's not just because you share a single interest. You might find that you can still enjoy doing other activities with your current friends, even if they quit skating.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I definatly do! I've been best friends with them for 5 years and counting!

But I will take everyones advise about getting to know more kids at the rink. The thing is I am home-schooled so when I go skating there isn't as many kids at the rink. The was a girl at the rink and she came twice but hasn't been there since. but I hope she comes back. Thanks again for everyones advise.

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I third that.

I am lucky to be blessed with a nice bunch of adult skaters at our rink. There is no-one I really dislike, and I am starting to socialise with a couple of them off the ice.

To be honest, I quite like the fact that none of my other friends skate, it is my 'special' thing.

S xxx

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There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Sue, why don't you set up a SkatingForums meetup at Aviator?

Give people a week's notice online and you'll have new skating friends to hang out with!

ETA:

Quote:

Originally Posted by sue123 Who me? I'm not good at setting these things up, sadly. But if anybody wants to meet at Aviator, that's fine with me. BTW, it was Leda who started this thread.

Sorry, I got lost in the thread! I thought you started it.

Never mind.

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Who me? I'm not good at setting these things up, sadly. But if anybody wants to meet at Aviator, that's fine with me. BTW, it was Leda who started this thread.

DRATS!!! Too bad, I can't go yet! I won't be in New York for another couple of months!!!

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!