Kyran's book thing

Eight of my passions.

I think that, to know someone, you have to know their passions. What would they fight for? What are they fighting for? 

In the end, what's a person without passion? Without something to fight for? 

That person is nothing. 

So, for this chapter of my still kind of growing up "Kyran's thing", I'll be telling you about my passions. The things I'm fighting for, the things I love to do, the things I hope I'll always be able to do. I hope you enjoy.

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1. Skateboarding. 

I've been skateboarding since I was very young. I got my first skateboard when I was seven years old, from my grandmother, who I'd told that I wish I'd something that gave me a reason to go outside. She gave me a skateboard, an Element one. I was outside almost every day, found friends who also loved skateboarding and developed something you could call an addiction. Up until this day, you can probably find me outside skateboarding, through rain, hail, snow and sunshine. 

2. Music.

I think this is something in everybody's list. Who isn't passionate about music? I like my music to be respected and when people don't, I can get quite mad - even though I'm not a very angry person. Everybody should be able to love their own kind of music, whether that's Bring Me The Horizon or One Direction. Just like religion: don't force your music taste onto someone. Music makes me feel safe, it makes me happy and I would be absolutely miserable without.

3. Coffee. 

Yes. This maybe sounds a bit weird, but coffee is one of my passions. They say "sad teens don't sleep" and I can relate to this. In my years of depression I've slept barely. Or very bad. Coffee has always been my savior when I had to drag myself to school. Just like skateboarding is coffee one of my addictions. I think I've had a caffeine overdose multiple times. Oops?

4. Words.

I have a passion for words. Not for talking, but for writing. For putting words down in a certain order that they start making sense. Maybe not to everyone, but to some people. With WDLHA I've seen the power of words. The power of words put in a certain order to make sense to some people. To help some people through incredible tough times in their lives. I think that when your words start to match your thoughts, you have a power that could make a great change in the world. Or simply in one person's life. And I'm extremely grateful for words.

5. Poetry.

I enjoy writing it (even though I'm not very good at it), but I even more enjoy reading it. Poetry is one of those things people forget to easily about. People ignore it, even though poetry can be indredibly, unbelievably strong. It can describe your mood even better than stories can. They're like songs, but without the sound. If I could, I would live all day with coffee, a little music, poetry and rain hitting against the window. That would be perfect in my eyes.

6. My friends.

I have a handful of friends I can't count on no matter what. Friends that I didn't make, but that came to me and decided that I was cool enough to hang around with. They never left me, they never dropped me and we've done some unforgettable things together. We've gone on a roadtrip, camping in the woods. We've gone on a journey miles long on our skateboard with nothing but a backpack. We've had parties, movie nights, happy moments, sad moments and I wouldn't exchange them for anything. They're the most important thing in my life and without them I would not be alive. 

7. Tattoos (or tattooing). 

As some of you know I have a part-time job in a tattoo shop. It started out as a photography thing, but I mostly do cleaning up now and sometimes I get to make a sketch. They're also slowly teaching me how to tattoo people. Not only do I love the job, I also love the people I work with. I'm one of the few people on this planet who can say that I love my boss. He's extremely chill and accepts everyone just the way they are. He listens to the same music I do and we can talk about some things forever. I hope that I can maybe make this my full-time job after high school. Ofcourse this also gives me a certain passion for tattoos. I think they're very special things. I mean, it's literally ink, forming a small piece of art on someone's skin. If that's not cool, then I don't know anymore.

8. Helping you. 

Ofcourse this is something that can't be left out. Whether it's because you're bullied, feel insecure, ar depressed, insecure, anxious, an outcast, abused, kicked down, heartbroken, lost or lonely - I will always try to help you. With every word I can think of. With any word that might comfort you, that might make you a little bit happier than you were before. This is not always easy, as I've met people who seem broken beyond repair. I guess some people are and I think I might be one, but even if you're broken beyond repair, I will do my best to stitch you up, glue you together and tape your cracks as well as I can. I will listen to you, I will give you advice that might be complete bullshit or maybe help, I will try and relate, I will try and tell you not do the things you're thinking of doing. These are things I've been doing for more than a year now, through a book that wasn't meant to be a "guide for bullied, insecure, depressed, anxious, outcasted, abused, kicked down, heartbroken, lost and lonely teenagers". But I'm glad it has become. And I can't express how happy I am when I read your comments and messages telling me how much it has helped you through dark times. It's incredible and I can barely understand it. 

- Kyran