There have been a slew of skating routines to appear on my social media. I suppose I encourage it, because I stop to watch them. The way partners hold one another up, and spin, amazes me. There is no way for me to calibrate the hours and months these skaters have invested in mastering the skills. They make it look easy. Then when the routine is done and the camera zooms in I can see their chests pound, and their faces release. 

I am ignorant about which moves are most difficult. The commentators sometimes clue the audience in to which aspects of a jump are technically challenging. It is possible that some that look dangerous are not, and others that seem simple are brutal. 

The other day a young person tried to explain the experience of being neurodivergent. 

"My body is having an argument with itself. My respiratory system wants to breathe, but my nervous system doesn't."

I appreciated this effort to describe what is invisible. It can help me have compassion for my son when he is trying to do something that looks routine, like reading social cues, yet for him is nearly impossible. 

Maybe I can remember this the next time I have an opinion about whether another person stays calm, or doesn't. Perhaps there is an argument brewing inside them, and they are losing. 

Because some skills take a long time to master.