Friday, May 2, 2008

Skate = Bowl


There was no skate kick-off this weekend
No assembly required
No scars compared

But ice was broken
Generations were introduced
Names were signed
Balls were rolled

Let me explain.

The skateboards hadn’t all arrived from Zoo York yet. And the ones that had arrived were already assembled.
So plans changed and the new class of mentors and mentees were introduced to the previous classes.
We played some ice breakers, which really only resulted in the conclusion that 6o people can’t stand in a circle, backs turned, arms linked and sit down, then get up again.
I can’t say my life is any better or worse off now that I know that.

But I can say that I know it.
And knowledge is power… And with power comes great responsibility… so I’m now a more responsible person…which would make me a better mentor.
Wow. My life IS better off now.

Well after the apparently life-altering ice-breaker, MCash and I were signing some papers and he mentioned that he never learned how to write cursive. Which I guess makes sense since we don't have to make our own handwriting beautiful now that the computer does it.

It does, however, feel like we're losing a little bit of an art even though I only really use cursive to sign my name anymore.

When I was growing up it was nice to always know that if I needed to write a love letter or forge a note, I could rely on cursive’s wondrous pomp to really drive home the idea that this was a pretty big deal.

So I spent a little while working with MCash on his signature and I think we came up with something pretty cool.
Maybe one day you’ll see it when he signs it on your face at one of his shows.

Then we went bowling.
I tried to coach MCash on how to throw a strike, but after watching me throw a few gutter balls, I noticed that every subsequent lesson on where to put his feet, or how to release the ball fell on deaf ears.
Well not as much deaf ears as ears that were covered up.
By his hands.
Ears attached to a shaking head, with closed eyes and a mouth going “Noooooo!”

Obviously the ice-breaker fell short of its lofty promise to make me a better mentor.

2 comments:

Stoked Steve said...

nice one!

Unknown said...

Dave just gets cooler with age...or is it the really cool 16 year old standing next to him? I would say the latter...never hurts to put cool beside you.