Why would anyone sane start skateboarding at the age of 42?
I needed some changes in my life.
I switched from riding BMX Flatland for more than fifteen years to skateboarding in February, 2019. Sports keep me mentally healthy and balanced to be able to cope with work-related stress and the daily routine of walking my 3 apartment dogs 3 times a day, all-year round.
Why did I retire from BMX Flatland?
I retired from riding Flatland – at least for a while – because it put me under a lot of stress:
I had to find the right time for riding – which is early in the morning for me – comsidering the following:
- walking my dogs,
- commuting to work,
- darkness,
- weather and
- people.
Apartment dogs
The dog walks not always go ideally, as dogs are not machines. I am satisfied with them, usually they do their business on time, but 10 or 15 (or more) minutes here and there can mean rushing to work, anger, frustration, a ruined BMX practise because lack of time.
Driving to work
My whole day revolves around the dogwalks. If my dogs are ’late’ with their business, I am also late for work. Having to rush in traffic is not safe, neither it is to sit in a car in an angry mood because of running late. Oh, by the way, have I told you already not to take in any dogs if you live in an apartment? Now I do tell you. Living with dogs in an apartment absolutely limits my freedom.
When the sun comes up
I need light to ride my BMX safely. First sunlight is not always in the time period of the day that is appropriate for me. In winter the sun comes up at 6 A.M., and I gotta leave for work at 7:20 the latest, to be able to get there in time. Dogwalks are not connected to sunlight, I walk my dogs at the exact same time every day. But darkness means no BMX Flatland riding too. Having to adjust to darkness and sunlight is also a stress factor in my life.
Changing weather
The ideal weather for me in spring and summer is when the sun come up but it is not shining on my court where I ride BMX. This is very early in the morning. Until I did not have dogs I could get up at 4 or 4:30 A.M. and go out and ride. I was 25 then.
Now I have 3 dogs and walking them is first thing in the morning, setting the time of the walks to my not-at-all-well-paid job as an English teacher.
After getting home with my dogs and before having to drive to work would be the time to go out and ride. There was a period when I managed to do this, even going out to ride my bike before dogwalks, but I got sick and tired of having to do one more thing on time, my Flatland practice ruined by the clock’s tyranny. Having to rush home from riding put me under a lotta stress too.
I like riding BMX on an empty court
Early in the morning is not only great because there is not much heat, but it also means less or no people on the court where I practise. Some runners come to train, but they run around my court, so they do not disturb me. But if people come to play football, that means a ruined ride for me. So, to avoid crowd, I prefer to go practise BMX Flatland at dawn or very early in the morning. Or, at least, I used to, until I lived without dogs….
My other reason for stopping riding BMX: stress
I felt that I was stuck on a level and could not progress. It also put me under stress, and I needed a break. I sold my bike, because I could not ride for months for the above mentioned factors. I sold it so that I would not see it in my garage and it would not mess with my mind. Then, later, of course, I regretted it, but, to be honest, I would not have time and energy for skating and BMX as well.
I also had a flat tire because I wore my tires too thin, like all Flatlanders do. I would have to order ne ones, but they were not on stock, and even if I had purchased new tires, I could not have been able to ride for the reasons above.
Does skateboarding put me under less stress?
I thought first that skateboarding would be a less serious thing in my life than BMX Flatland had been, but I was wrong. I take skating seriously, which also manifests in symptoms like frustration when it rains and I can not (or should not) go to practise, or not being able to skate before work every day. Even though I am balanceboarding at home when I can not go out for a ’real life’ skate sesssion, it is nearly not the same.
Something to live for
I look at skateboarding like I looked at BMX Flatland: a thing that gives meaning to my life, something I yearn to do, something to get up for, something that gives me feeling of success.
I consider skateboarding like I used to do with Flatland: something to live for. I know this might sound trivial, but I give you an example to have a glimpse into my (sick?) way of thinking:
Skateboarding vs. work: heaven and hell
When I have the time and go skateboarding before work, in nice, warm, sunny weather in the morning on an empty court, it is such a huge contrast to be working at school as a teacher.
My skate spot is lovely, it has green areas, trees, bushes and grass around it, and I can see the Bükk hills in the background. I know that there are thousands of landscapes more picturesque than this, but this place also fills me with peace and calmness.
On the contrary to work. It is like heaven vs. hell.
How are skateboarding and MLM business related?
First of all because I am a (rookie but enthusiastic) skateboarder who deals with DXN MLM business. The main thing is that I believe that online mushroom coffee Multi-level Marketing business is the only tool that can get me closer to my goals.
My goals with online mushroom coffee MLM business
Mushroom coffee business is the only way for me to be able to live the life I desire.
I want to be able to afford a decent house with garden so that I can live a free life with my dogs, and this way I will have more freetime for skateboarding, BMX riding and a whole new wide spectrum of activities.
