Last night I watched the Formula One race from Miami, but it just wasn't the same. This is the first year I have got a subscription to watch the races and it has been really enjoyable up until now, and despite the action being good - something was missing.
My daughter.
Being in the US for this instalment, the race time was after my daughter's bedtime and after my wife went to bed, so I watched the race alone. And just like a good meal, it wasn't as good when it isn't shared with someone. And to my surprise, my daughter has really enjoyed the racing so far, learning all the drivers, asking about the rules and what is going on, and recalling instances from past GPs, including overtaking manoeuvres by specific drivers. But the best thing about watching with her is,
She gets so excited and her eyes light up!
This race weekend had two races, the main GP and a Sprint Race. We watched the qualifying for the Sprint as a replay and then the race live, as it was a bit earlier on Saturday. And then yesterday, because the qualifying for the main race was late, we watched it as a replay and I asked if she wanted to watch the highlights, or the whole qualifying. At first she said highlights, until she found out that it was less than ten minutes of action - so she changed her mind to watch the whole qualifying. And despite it not being the race, she gets into it also.
When she comes home from school today (and after she has done her homework) we will watch the race together and despite me already seeing it, I am well looking forward to it. In fact, it might be better this way in some respects, because she has so many questions that I am unable to concentrate on getting the information I need to answer them, so it frustrates her (and me). This way, I already know what is going to happen, and don't have to listen into the commentary for the nuances.
Still, it is going to be like eating a great meal eaten alone, and then sharing the leftovers. It is much better to experience something like this for the first time together, as it is a purely consumptive experience. This means that the creative experience, the shared experience, is the reactions together, and the post-reaction discussion between us, as we process what we have seen.
I really enjoy spending time with Smallsteps and while I am normally not a big fan of spending time together while watching something, we don't do it very often, as normally the time we spend together is quite active and creative. I think if the only time we shared experience was in front of a screen, it wouldn't be that great or very special at all.
I don't know how long she will be interested in watching these with me, but for now it is nice to have a relatively regular "thing" we can look forward to and enjoy together. And while my wife likes to watch with us from time to time, it also gives her the option to do something else for herself instead. While it is a pity that isn't cleaning the house, it is good that she has some additional space also.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
