Something More

I have linked Mike V in recent months... I have enjoyed his point of view... I kind of get creeped out at how serious it's all taken, though. too serious about skateboarding, people... Mike. There's something more to life than this skateboarding stuff. Seriously, if its your LIFE, it shouldn't be. It should be a PART of your life. Not you LIFE.

Skateboarding starts with playing with a toy on roads and sidewalks built with other people's money. on obstacles and parks developed by others for us... we are consummate moochers and need to develop some serious gratitude in our culture toward the cities and parents and people...

some people, through practice and dedication, discipline and sacrifice, raise skateboarding to an art form, modeling higher aspects of human potential. Hats off. Gratitude should be multiplied...

Over the last 22 years, I've been really shocked at the sense of entitlement that skateboarders manifest. Haven't we thought this through a little more thant that? I mean, realizing all that's being freely given to us,and all we're taking, we will enjoy it even MORE from the humility we'll get...

a false sense of entitlement really ruins stuff. It ruins personal fun, making one too serious about what they're doing. It blinds you to the generosity of others who have gone before you. I trashes the opportunities of the ones who can't get past the stigma of your bad behavior. All that loss, because you think the world owes you for being good at skateboarding? Wow. And you're proud you're selfish. Wow. Piece of work, dude. Piece of work.

So the next time you want to resent the cops, or business people of your town, think about all you have been given in your life, from the birth canal on down to today, walking around under someone else's sunshine... think about the curb you're grinding: who built it? What did it cost? Who DOES care? and find soemthing somewhere where skating will be a positive thing. Go hit stuff in rough neighborhoods. Get parks made there, where destroying curbs and rails will help kids break out of the dark...

and don't be whiny elitist skaterboys. that's tired...