Autobiographical+Incident

Riding my longboard is one of my favorite things to do. The day that I learned how to ride it taught me a very valuable lesson that I have kept with me throughout my life. It was the night of my birthday and it was time for me to open my presents. I had been asking for a Sector 9 longboard. It came with blue hydra wheels that are supposed to make your board faster and also came with an awesome graphic that I thought was the coolest. My mom brought down the presents and I immediately noticed a big box that I thought had to contain my longboard. When my mom told me I could open my presents I quickly ran to the big box only to hear the dreaded words, “Save that present for last.” I reluctantly listened to my mom and opened another present. Then once I finished opening my other presents I ran over to the big one. Tearing through the wrapping paper in excitement I finally opened the box. Inside was my Sector 9 longboard! “Thank you,” I yelled to my parents. Quickly I took the board out of the box and ran to my neighbor’s house. He had a longboard too and I wanted to be able to ride like him so bad. I wanted him to teach me how to ride. When I got to his house I rang the doorbell and he answered. “Everett look at the new board I just got for my birthday!” I said showing him the board. “That’s awesome” he replied. “Can you teach me how to ride?” I asked. “Sure let me get my board,” He ran inside, got his board and we went into the road. Anxious, I quickly jumped on my board only for it to shoot out under my feet and for me to crash onto the hard asphalt. I got up to find cuts on my arms. I soon realized that it would take time before I would be able ride well. Longboards are harder to ride than regular skateboards because they are faster and wobbly on the sides so you can turn better. After shaking off my wounds I started to get back up on my board when Everett said, “Keep your feet in the middle of the board.” I listened to his advice and got back up on my board this time determined to stay up. I pushed off, this time staying up for a few seconds, I thought I had it until I shifted my weight forward and the board shot out behind me. This time I fell straight on my arm and the pain was terrible. “Here watch me,” Everett said. I watched Everett as he perfectly rode performing the twist and turns that I envied. I studied his every move trying to learn what he did. “I think I got it this time,” I said as I got back on my board. “Okay let me see it,” he replied. I got back up on my board ready to prove myself. I pushed off this time staying up until I started to lose speed and then I pushed off again. I was starting to actually ride and I heard Everett yelling, “Now try to turn.” I slowly started to shift my weight to the left trying to turn until I leaned too far and “smack” and landed on my left cheek. The pain was unbearable. I lay on the ground for a while until I finally got up. “I don’t want to do this anymore.” I said. “Why not?” Everett asked. “I’m not having fun,” I replied. “Don’t worry you will have fun, you just have to stay with it.” “Okay, but what if I fall again?” I asked. “Don’t think about falling, imagine yourself riding.” I hesitantly got back up on my board. I pushed off and I was doing great. I was keeping my balance and then I started to slow down. I pushed off again and I felt like I was flying. Then when I started to build confidence I tried to turn. Again I began to shift my weight to the side, my board slowly started to turn and then I leaned a little bit more. “You’re doing it,” I heard Everett yelling from the side. I had successfully turned. I was having so much fun and decided to try to turn again. This time I fell but my excitement from successfully riding the first time distracted me from my fall. “I did it,” I yelled. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I kept riding the rest of the night. It took me a few more hours until I could ride perfectly. After I was done riding I thought about what Everett said and I realized that sometimes when things get hard you can’t give up and you have to keep trying. This lesson has stayed with me my whole life. When something isn’t going my way I look back to the day I learned how to ride a longboard and I convince myself never to give up.