Wisdom From the Acient Masters of Alt.Skate-Board (Part 4)

Thoai Tran wrote 14 installments of Zen and Skateboarding. Here is Part 4. This one is amazing. See introductory comments I wrote on this post for full context. 

 

Part Four

A young skater once remarked to Master Ch'an:

" You don't wear the latest skate clothes. You don't even have on real skate shoes. If you are going to skate, you might as well have the image that goes along with it! The girls aint going to like you if you sport those 10 dollars no name jammies from PayLess. Get with the program man!"

So began Master Ch'an:

"A little seedling that sprouts out of the forest floor requires the crudest and simplest requirements for life. Requiring just the water that comes down from the clouds above, the all-encompassing air, and the minerals found in the forest soil, this little seedling will grow, and develop into a mighty oak or spruce tree. Placing a pair of Airwalks or Etnies by this seedling won't stop it from growing. It just keeps growing. Placing t-shirts with logos of skate companies by this seedling won't hinder its inevitable growth into a tall tree. Hanging a pair of baggy Levis on one of its many branches won't cause it to die...

"Like a seedling that requires only the simplest elements for life, your skating requires very few elements for you to grow and develop into a mighty fortress that stands tall and proud among your peers..

"Use your infinite curiosity to break away from the shell that has encapsulated your skating and prevented you from sprouting out of the soil of mediocrity. You will grow...

"Use your dedication to hold your body strongly within the skating foundation. Let it provides the minerals and nourishments for your inevitable growth. Let it provides the sunshine that gives your skating life. Through the violent rain, the freezing cold, and the sweltering heat of summer does this young tree remain attached to its very foundation. You too must remain attached to your skating during moments when friends are away, when the last skateable spot suddenly has "No Skateboarding Permitted" signs, when your art is viewed as obscene and unlawful, when no one is there to support your art. Indeed, you will grow...

"Use your creativity to blossom and give rise to countless leaves which will absorb completely the brilliant light - the essence of skating and of life. A seedling which is transplanted into a distant forest, where it is surrounded entirely by plants and trees of different species, can still grow tall and mighty.. Your skating too, although different and strictly your own, will inevitably grow, despite being surrounded by mediocrity. Use your creativity to blossom among the endless rows of common maple trees. Indeed, you will grow...

"But most importantly, use your love for your art, for your skating, to grow. This is the one thing that no Airwalks, Stussy shirts, or Levi pants can ever replace. Fashion comes and goes, like so many other trends. But the sun, and the rain, and the minerals will always be there to nurture the seedling and help it grow. Seek within yourself the qualities which are eternal, infinite, and everlasting. It is so easy to say "Hey, check out these Airwalks. I love the way they look." But saying " I love skating" requires something which lies deep within your soul, something which outlasts even the most beautiful shoes...

"Remember this, and your skating will inevitably grow...

So spoke Master Ch'an.