While I am interested in many different ideas and things, skateboarding is my passion. Besides the physical aspects of skateboarding it also helped me to come to realizations about life and clear my mind when times seemed to be at their worst. I attribute my positive mindset and my physical well being to skateboarding as it is an excellent test to the body and mind.

About two years ago I had the idea to build a ramp at my grandfather’s house. He had lots of material that we could use and he did not mind handing it over to me. My grandfather loves to build and create so he was excited to help. We set aside a whole weekend to build this ramp. Throughout this three day period I learned a lot about my grandfather. He taught me the proper way to use tools, he told stories about jobs he held as a youth, war stories, and the most fascinating of all, the story of his love for my grandmother.

My Grandmother was a wonderful woman. She loved to cook, bake, and she always was doing something. If she had no work to do around the house or at her restaurant she would get very uncomfortable. She enjoyed the work because she knew it was for her family. My grandmother loved to go shopping and my favorite thing in the world was to go with her. I loved spending time with her as I was constantly at her house. When I found out that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer I was devastated. I could not comprehend how something like this could happen. I thought about it everyday and as my thoughts increased I started to skateboard more and more everyday. Skateboarding helped immensely. It cleared my mind; when I skate I go into a different world with no worries or sorrow. Gradually it helped me to understand that her life should be celebrated, the times I shared with her I would cherish.

Skateboarding is somewhat difficult to describe to other people. Others look at it and can’t understand the feelings that skateboarding gives. As a skateboarder my perception of the everyday world has changed. Stairs and handrails are no longer structures used to move people they are obstacles. Skateboarding allows my creativity to flow freely, it is what I make it. No one tells me how to do it or why. I skate because it is a part of me that will never be silenced.