AER Last Hurra, 2008
800*600
Video
AER: The Last Hurra
This is not a klingon event. Not really. I wore my usual black Workman's Utilikilt and orange klingon judges shirt. Big deal.
How does this tie in with the klingon thing? Well, I could argue that
wearing a Class B uniform was part of the criteria which I established
in 2002 as to adding events to the AER's Page of the IKV Melota. Screw
it.
This really was re-living younger years. This is dealing with TRADITION, a real klingon concept.
The hard core klingons of KAG are old enough to have kids of our own
that are old enough to be out on their own. Yes, we are in our forties
or fifties. We grew up with ST:TOS.
We have become the old, scary, dull, boring parents that we swore that we would not become.
Dammit!!! I refuse to grow old!!!!
Bear with me, I'm getting to a point...
I am a Citizen of the Nation of Texas. I was born here. I was raised
here. My FavwI was getting / losing and getting jobs all over Texas.
However, since both grandparental families were in Batesville
(Arkansas) my brother and I were FedEx'd to Batesville every summer,
spring break, and Xmas break. I grew up in Batesville as much as I grew
up in various towns of Texas. I wore the Burnt Orange solidly for quite
a few years. I even got my other friends to visit *with me* to
Batesville and my buddy Kelley who lived there. We, as an odd ball clan
of Volkswagen driving high school kids really haunted Batesville for
years during High School and College. Batesville was the one unifying
town of my life and also that of my friends of the Class of 80 EVEN IF
THEY DID NOT LIVE THERE.
Fact:
From St. Louis Street (25/167) one can skateboard Boswell from the 1980
defined middle of town all the way non-fraking-stop to the west
(downtown) end of town as a non-stop down hill.
Fact:
Main street offered a challenging series of doors, displays, and challenges for the skateboarder.
Fact:
I had a black Grentec Spoiler II. We had many a run down Boswell
street. Kelley used a Grentec Scout II. Somebody had Grentec Coyote II
though I cannot remember who. This Grentec black Spoiler II haunted
Batesville all over until the rear truck broke. It became difficult to
steer with this broken truck, thus I replaced it with another Spoiler
II (blue) in 1976.
Fact:
Kelley now lives in the Windy City. We are all scattered this way and that.
Beau is in Little Rock.
Calvin is near DC.
Now, the point...
With the death of my last Grandparent, I had a reason to re-visit the
town of *Unification*. Now that real world business of dealing with an
estate has been done, I have no further reason to visit Batesville.
With this knowledge in mind, and prior planning...
In the TRADITION, I pulled out my Grentec Spoiler II (black) (purchased
when I was 11) and we made a trip down Boswell street some 33 years
after my last skateboard trip down Main Street for the Glory of
Tradition. My ankles were not in shape. The Spoiler II was still
squirrelly as Grethor due to the broken truck. But, for my friends, for
my town, for the TRADITION, I rode Boswell and I made appropriate trips
down Main Street.
I showed my kids the secrets of cruising Main street. The hill. The doorways. The hours.
The ways to crash and how to avoid them.
I would have done better with the blue Spoiler II. But, dammit to
Grethor, most of my cruising was on the black one and that black one
was the board to use for old times sake.
I'm 46.
I just skateboarded Boswell and Main Street with the same board that I used some 33 years ago.
I REFUSE TO GROW OLD!!!!
Refuse to be old. Go do something that you did decades ago. Involve
your friends of that decade if you can. Tradition is a klingon concept.
You did it then. Do it NOW. Show your kids how it was done. After all,
they are just learning.
Recently, I brought out my 1969 Hot Wheels set and its (my original,
red wheel) Corvette and smoked the crap out of the cars that my son, my
daughter, and her parmachi brought to the drag strip.
Bring out your Hot Wheels. Bring out your Johnny Lightning. Bring out
your skateboards. Bring out your Daisy Model 102 or your Daisy Red
Rider.
Do something that will freak out anybody under 25 because the stigma is that we are too damned old to do it!!!
WE have the experience.
Spread the experience.
Start a tradition.
Continue one already in place.
Just refuse to grow old and DO IT!
Skateboards and Hot Wheels!!!
Salek (46), Ship's Brewer
IKV Melota
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