skate Mecca

My kids don’t seem particularly thrilled
about our upcoming trip to Louisville,
not sure where it is that they wanna go,
they’re on spring break and have nothing to do,
last year they went to visit their mishomis in the Soo.
The year before that we all went to New York City,
Stayed in midtown for a couple of days,
Then crashed at our friend’s place,
Across the river in Brooklyn- Williamsburg,
Or was it Green Point? Not too sure.
The thing is, what they need to understand,
Is that with what little we have, we do what we can,
We can’t go to Florida or California like their friends,
We aren’t flushed with money like so many of them.
I think one of them went to Italy or Spain,
But that’s the lives that they lead, so insane,
Wish we could afford just a piece of that,
But what little we got, isn’t really so bad.
Travel is good for the mind and soul,
See how other folks live and all of that,
Seeing someplace new with your eyes wide open,
Opens your mind and your heart to so much,
Helps break us out of our daily ruts.
So we’re visiting the Louisville Skate Park,
Open 24 hours, giant lights that cut through the dark,
Skated by Tony Hawk, Bill Danforth, et. al,
It’s gonna make our local park seem so small,
The kids are quite nervous, claim they can’t skate,
But this is just an adventure, nothing to debate.
I’m not expecting them to skate the full pipe,
don’t expect them to skate in the middle of the night,
or drop into the 8 foot bowl, ride the giant ramp,
just wanna see them get stoked and amped.
They don’t need to grind the coping,
Just want to have fun, that’s all I am hoping,
Don’t need to ollie over the banks,
Just want to go to Da Ville and give thanks.
I just want them to check it out with me,
Live in the moment and see what there is to see,
I’m no great skater, only just started back up,
Been going at it for about eight months,
And the last three of those spent rehabbing,
Spend most of my time standing around gabbing.
But the thrill and adventure of speed,
On those four wheels fulfills some need,
I don’t question or wonder, just go and skate,
My intention is to have fun, not to be great,
The terrain is different from our own they will find,
And sometimes that is a challenge worth trying.
Easier or harder, that’s for them to decide,
But trying something new stokes a fire inside,
It opens your eyes to new possibilities and lines,
And when they’re old and gray they’ll remember these times,
When we ventured out of our normal everyday,
And explored and discovered something new along the way.
I’m a little worried about meeting the Concretins in person,
My ego might need some after-session nursing,
But they all seem to be a fun bunch of rippers,
Shoot, I forgot to ask them about those chiggers—
But I rarely see other old schoolers up my way,
And I’m sure I’ll get some schooling that day.
Maybe my son will finally learn how to carve,
He just might realize it’s not really that hard,
Or my daughter will figure out how to kickturn,
Sometimes a change of scenery will help you learn,
Or my sorry butt will learn how to fakie and pump,
Instead of spending sessions falling on my rump.
Helped along by being outside our comfort zones,
Five hours to the south, not really that far from home,
We are going to the skate Mecca to show our respects,
Trunk full of helmets and pads and all our decks,
Make a joyous sound, with your hearts and your minds,
Raise your voices in song, or fill the air with grinds,
Its all the same song, celebrating this life we have been given,
So precious, so short, but so many of us forget to start livin.