This guy.
He loves to skate. It's no mystery. But there was a time.
A time not to very long ago when he did not skate. I remember him asking "Hey mom can I have a skateboard?"
He was six.
"You dont really want a skateboard do you sweetie. Are you absolutely certain you want a skateboard?" I answered.
"Yes! P l e a s e I really, really, r e a l l y want one!"
Great. All I can remember thinking was this really can't be a good thing. It's dangerous. It's probably just not a good idea at all but there is little I refuse my children when they desire something as badly as he wanted this particular item and so it goes... off to the .. wait where exactly does one purchase a skateboard? I honestly had no idea.
I headed to Toys R Us like any insane good mother would do and low and behold found several nice and shiney new boards. Shiney but scary new contraptions that could mame or worse yet kill my child. But I did it anyway. I certainly did. I forked out the 39.99 and a little more for the much needed helmet and protective pads that were to save my childs life and all of a sudden.. we were here.
Good Lord help us all. Look at that face will ya.
And so it began.
He started in the street right in front of the house and well.. I took pictures. It's all I could do right.
It took him all of about thirty minutes before he exclaimed "These wheels are too hard."
Huh?!! Too hard?? What do you mean they're too hard?
"They're too hard I don't like them." he said.
Great! Do they even make a softer wheel? I had no idea.
Back to the store we went and found that they do indeed make better or softer wheels for my very "Princess and the Pea" skateboarder dude.
With softer wheels aquired we were set.
Fast forward about one month where we ventured down to the local YMCA to try out a real skatepark.
First time ever. Ever, ever, ever!
He was gone!
Moving so fast all I could do was take pictures best I could.
He immediately showed a lot of style and good riding stance as I like to call it. He also immediately started do try things that the bigger boys were doing.
I wasn't exactly sure if I should cheer him on or make his sit down. I chose the former and this is what he did next.
He climbed a big ramp. He stood atop of the piece of wood with wheels as I stood freaking out like a chipanzee on crack and... I watched him fly down the said ramp.
Like it was nothing.
Like he had done it all his life.
With no wobbles. No shakes.
With complete calm ease.
Then he did another.
Then he went and did this. What I would at a much later time find out to be called a kick-turn.
And I knew something right then and there.
That I would myself never see life outside of this skatepark again. Good bye world. Is what I said. I think.
I kid, I kid. What I actually knew at that moment was that he had found the thing he loved more than all other things that he possibly could love. Even though there are many. Then what I knew was I was just really, really happy for the little dude.
How often do you find something that is your hearts passion? The thing you live for. Not always very often.
But he has.
It was scary at first (for me at least) And it may not have seemed like the very best thing for him to be involved in. But as it has turned out it is his thing.
Why else would I be flying all the way to Minnesota in mid February for a Skateboard Championship so he can participate and compete.
What us mothers do for our kids. Crazy and amazing all at the same time.
There is a first time for everything indeed. You just never know where it may lead.
Over and out.
The sitting at skateparks for the majority of her life SLM
"Beginnings are usually scary. Endings are usually sad. But it's what's in the middle that counts the most. You have to remeber this when you find yourself at the beginning." -Birdee Pruitt - Hope Floats
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