Page 132 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART TWO
to release the accumulated emotion and stress caused by some of these fac- tors. Your foot goes through your skateboard, eventually it cracks, then snap! Your foot has gone through the middle of the board and it has divided into two, with the middle of the board touching the ground. Session over today! This skateboard is not coming back!
I know what it’s like to lose people that I’ve cared about through suicide. I know it impacts on friends and family pretty heavily. There are a lot of ques- tions around “why” and a lot of anger and sadness directed towards the sui- cide victim. It’s understandable that there are going to be these emotions. The person has taken their life, most likely left without saying goodbye and they aren’t coming back (physically).
The same thing happens when a skateboard is focussed. If you’re out on a ses- sion and someone has focussed their board, it impacts on the mood and the energy of everyone. There are times where a focussed skateboard kills the vibe of the session for everyone. Unless they’re carrying a spare board with them, they’re not going home with their skateboard today. They’d probably be walking to the next spot, driving home or sitting around for the remainder of the day.
When someone has been experiencing prolonged stress caused by various conditions in their life, it has impacts on their physical, mental and emotional health. It is going to accumulate without a way to process this or release this. Sometimes there may be some early warning signs for individuals who have been going through the intensity of this kind of stress and other times it will feel like it has come out of nowhere.
The warning signs for someone being frustrated with their skateboard is very easy to identify. Perhaps there is more board throwing, negative self- talk, displays of anger and frustration and then there is the final straw that makes the foot go through the board. Thinking outside of skateboarding, what are some of the ways that you can identify when you or others are not operating at an optimal, emotional best? Pay attention to your own and others’ behaviours and actions and notice any changes in their personality, attitude and overall demeanour.
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