What I Learned at the Skate Park

Eric missed his landing and smashed his face onto the rail. Blood gushed to the sidewalk while my 6 year old looked on. Five minutes earlier in the car my first grader was emphatic about not going to the skate park. “There are too many teenagers there”. I had to admit, I was apprehensive too. I’d never been to a skate park before and walking up to the crowd with my cruiser style long-board and golf hat made me feel a little out of my realm. And then…Eric crashed.

“Oh man, your face is messed up!”

No one moved, not his friends, not the skaters. No one. “Can someone please grab him a towel?” I asked. Of the dozen people sitting there, no one moved and one guy, sitting down, replied they didn’t have one. I guess he spoke for the group. It was like a crime scene from Dexter; blood splatter on the wall and red dots making a trail to the trunk of my car where my little medical kit finally came in handy. The skater was really grateful. So was I and so was my son. The awkwardness of the park rapidly diminished in the face of, well, a bloody face. My son and I returned to skate, feeling as though we had, in some small way, earned a right to be there. When we risk doing something new we give ourselves the chance to shine, stand out or at least be accepted. Usually, the most we risk is a bloody face. I think it’s worth it and I hope you do to.