So this got me thinking...

So I was scanning the pages of one of my older YRB magazines, (if you don't check this magazine out frequently, your loss) and I came across an interview with Terry Kennedy and Rick Thorne in which they basically describe what it's like to be a professional athlete in an extreme sport. To the inexperienced Terry Kennedy is a sponsored pro skateboarder, primarily known for stout street technique and Rick Thorne is a talented stunt BMX'er (the guy wall rode a moving semi-truck I'm sure you can find that somewhere on youtube). What got me thinking and the primary thing that drove me to write, was that both of these guys spent the entire interview talking about how they hoped that their stories were inspirational enough to move other people's lives forward. The words that stuck with me the most though, were those of Terry Kennedy and I'll share them with you and explain why.

These guys don't make ridiculous amounts of money but I don't suspect that their bank accounts are hurting either. What's most important, is that these guys both found something that they genuinely enjoy doing and they did it, until it became profitable. That in and of itself may not sound very unique, but for a second think about how many people really conduct their lives in that fashion without compromise. I certainly don't, at least not now, and I doubt very seriously that the majority of people in this world get up every morning thinking about how awesome and privleged they feel about going to work. This is not the first time I've thought about this, and there are certainly other stories that could inspire similar trains of thought. But I think what hammered it home for me were two things Terry Kennedy said.

The first statement that got the wheels turning was,"For me, man, skateboarding is just a blessing honestly. If I wasn't getting paid for it, if I wasn't pro, I'd still be doing it. Hands down, I'm not just saying that to be saying it." Now it would be easy to dismiss this as untrue posturing, but I genuinely believe him. Why? Because I guarantee that the kind of determination that's necessary to make a living as a guy who rides a skateboard (think about that again for just a minute, he skates and people pay him, clothe him and feed him to do it) is written all over that statement. This was a guy who went out and did something with no guarantees that he would ever be successful doing it coming from limited resources, and while there are guys out there waking up every morning dreading where they're about to spend the next 8 hours this guy gets to do what he loves. It's idealistic to think that this would work 100% of the time, but it sure worked for him. I find that fascinating.

The next time they get to Terry in the interview he gives us these words when asked about being shot at earlier on in his life, "I'm grateful to have gone through that 'cause now people can look at me at the end of the day and say, you have no right not to be driven. You have no right not to do the right thing, 'cause look at this kid ... That's why you gotta go through stuff, I appreciate it" and then he continues by saying "I like going through stuff more than I [like] accomplishing it. At the end of the day, how much more powerful is that?" That statement is going to stick with me for a while. I like his version better than "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger." The man is absolutely right. If I take a good hard look at myself, what have I been through that is so shattering that I can't pursue my dreams? I'm still here right? I have a feeling if more people looked at life this way this world would be a vastly different place.

I know that a lot of what I have written above is one giant optimism explosion, but I really think that maybe a lot of us would be better off with the ability to move forward with all we have constantly. At the very least thinking about it and writing about it takes me one step closer to putting it in action. I have no idea if I ever will develop the mindset that Terry has, but I know that I can since from all that I can surmise I have no excuse not to do so. Hmmm....