“I ran for the runaway that was cruising at high speeds, headed straight into a group of Japanese tourists on beach cruisers. I couldn’t, wouldn’t allow myself to just watch as it would inevitably careen into their tires, causing mass panic and ruining what appeared to be a lovely day at the beach. No, I would instead sacrifice my poor left kneecap into the hard hot pavement all in the name of harmonious universe balance. And as I felt the scrape of asphalt enter my bloodstream, I couldn’t help but say to myself, “Shit, that’s gonna leave a mark.”
Music Man was already on the sidelines concerned, afraid that my self-induced prophecy of allowing him to teach me how to skateboard was suddenly going to slap him in the face…but as I started to laugh it off a bit, he responded, “Why didn’t you just let it go?” Cue self-induced eyeroll.
But the question lingered.
Why didn’t I just let go…of a skateboard…a rented skateboard at that, which would’ve just momentarily shaken those Japanese tourists, who would’ve probably taken a picture of the runaway and been merrily on their way? Why did I have to sacrifice a knee in order to save a rented skateboard that would’ve just ended up in the grass anyway?
The question began to plague me.
The metaphor was not lost on me as I decided, what’s a little blood? There are already holes in my jeans, what’s another hole? As I got back on the proverbial horse, now masquerading itself as a Arbor Venice Longboard, I couldn’t help but wonder…why can’t I ever let go?
And when we returned the skateboard – the “Dazed and Confused” afro-haired employee shook his head at the retelling of my ordeal…and asked me point blank, “Now, what did we learn?”
Who ever thought a rented skateboard on the Venice boardwalk would finally teach me that sometimes in life, we just need to let things go?
And as the wound turns into a scab that will eventually become another one of my many life tattoos, I can’t help but smile – at the lesson I learned while chasing after a runaway skateboard on the Venice Boardwalk.
