Many things are a mystery to me. Actually, anything that I am not familiar with seems mysterious to me. I don't really understand the world of race car driving, for example, because it is totally foreign to me. I definitely do not understand people who spend hours each day doing crossword puzzles. I can never sit still long enough to do one puzzle let alone hours’ worth each day. But to me, the biggest mystery used to be the world of skate parks. I didn't understand why people went to them or what kind of people you could find there. That's all changed now, since I've spent some time at a skate park myself.
The biggest thing I
noticed during my visits to skate parks was that they really are their own
communities. I saw girls and boys ranging in age from around five years old up
till around twenty-five years old. It was amazing though, because age doesn't
seem to matter at skate parks. It almost seemed like all the people at the
skate parks are actually friends. I guess skating has brought them together and
identified them as the same kind of people so that they really begin to look
and function like a group. At each of the skate parks I visited it looked like
everyone watches out for everyone else. People seem to really care about one
another and they seemed to be full of support and encouragement for other
skaters.
Another thing I
learned from visiting skate parks was that there really is a certain look and
vibe among skaters. For the most part, skaters of all ages dressed the same
with baggy pants and loose-fitting tee shirts. I did not see anyone at the
skate parks that was overly concerned with the latest fashion. I guess their
concern was only to fit in with the other people within their community, a
characteristic typical of members of any kind of community.
Skate parks are
filled with really talented young people who have found, at least for now,
their place in the world. Most of the skaters I talked with said that skating
has become their ultimate passion. They never tire of spending hour after hour,
week after week practicing at skate parks. They have made a solid group of
friends and are very happy with their lives.
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