Psychiatric Hospital High School

A skate down memory lane

School got out, and F.E.'s group was outside on the football field, waiting for the rest of the kids to gather there. I stood with McKai and about 14 other kids. Most of the kids were my age, but there were a few middle schoolers mixed in. We all walked back to F.E., and they all seemed to be friends. That left me by myself. None of them really tried talking to me. I didn't try talking to them. It was cold, everyone could see their breath. I had a heavier jacket on, so I was okay, a bit cold, but okay. The others had full winter coats on, so they were perfectly fine.

Back at F.E., most of the kids stayed inside, working on who knows what. Some were watching TV, painting, or building a new robot for all I cared. When I came downstairs with my skateboard, I went up to mcKai. "Would it be okay if I went out to the backyard?" I asked. He nodded. "Okay, cool."

There was a basketball court out back, and there was a big cement spot that took up about a third of the yard. Dropping my board, I warmed up with some basic flat ground tricks. For awhile, I just stuck to heelflips. A trick I could land, but wanted to get better at. And I felt improvement as I practiced. 

Skateboarding helps me clear my mind. It lets me get my stress out through using energy to accomplish a task that I am proud of. Plus, I am getting exercise. A double win.

When I first discovered skateboarding, I was only about eleven. There was a cheap like not even twenty dollar skateboard at Target and Mom took note of the skateboard, and got it for me that Christmas. And, I just kind of was always on it. 

Eventually, at thirteen, I saved up enough money to buy my own board. Deck, grip, hardware, etc. That skateboard was the first board that I really never got off of. Sometimes, I would skate through the hallways. If I ever passed a cute boy, I'd do a little 180 or even a really high pop shuvit. Just to show-off, even though they probably didn't care.

And I'd spend almost every day at the skatepark. After school, from early Saturday until it got dark. I didn't go on Sundays because, believe it or not, I'm a church kid. And on Sundays, I take the bus to church early to practice either guitar or drums with the high schooler's worship team. And after church, my parents made me stay home. 

The community that lives within skateboarding. Man, those people were so down to earth and real. A lot of them were kids who were trying to find the right path. In a rough time in their lives. Some of the best people I've ever encountered. Meeting up, and skating around, five to seven of us per group, covering about ten miles on average a day, searching for skate spots. We'd get kicked out, and move on to somewhere else. 

I miss that.