I decided to Instagram vlog a summary of my last blog post, ‘What Art is Teaching Me About Writing.’ I spontaneously said, “Art is the best thing that has happened to me in my 40s.” I did not plan to say it, but it got me thinking. Here is a short post about the best things that have happened to me in each decade of my life. Why not?
Age 0-10, Family
I’ve been lucky to have my family as a constant part of my life. We moved from Albuquerque to Baltimore when I was 8. I don’t remember Albuquerque well, but I have flashes of memory that make it feel like a magical place. We’d have fried chicken and watched the amazing sunsets in the Sandia Mountains. We’d eat New Mexican food. I got the nickname Crash because I lost all my baby teeth with Superman falls. We’d have dinner every night, and we all cared about each other.
Age 10-20, Skateboarding
I believe I was 11 when I got my first skateboard. I did not get decent until I was 14, but I loved it. I first started in my neighborhood. Some neighbors made skate ramps. My dad bought me a rail and a jump ramp. We were rural enough that there were no spots, but we had plenty of flat ground. We skated every day. In middle school, I met a good friend. I started going to his neighborhood to skate, which was near a busy street with lots of spots to explore. When I moved to Toledo at age 15, I immediately met skaters. I think there is a freedom to skate at different spots with friends, which most people do not experience. Looking back, I was too inconsistent to be sponsored, but I was good. Like other kids, I dreamed of going pro up until my mental illness onset at age 17.
Age 20-30, Education and Career
It took me 5 years, but I graduated in 2000 with a BA in English, which is an accomplishment given my mental illness during those formative years. Shortly after, I started working at a Barnes & Noble in Toledo, and that was a good time in my life. I met two retired librarians and decided to get my degree. I started part-time and in a distance program in the fall of 2001. After 2 years of that, while working at the bookstore, I moved to Kent State to finish my degree more quickly. I had a great year there, and got my ‘college experience’ there since, for undergrad, I was a commuter student. In the summer of 2004, I went to the ALA conference and interviewed with Queens Public Library. I didn’t actually think about moving to NYC, but with my big sister living there, it seemed possible. I’m glad I took the chance, and it’s been a great experience.
Age 30-40, Skateboarding and Career
Before my 30s, most of my fond memories of skateboarding were from my teens. In my early to mid-twenties, I did skate, but not as well as I did in my teens. Around 2008, I started skating regularly and had a great time mostly at the parks. In 2012, I started going to Slappy Sundays. All of a sudden, I was part of a crew, and we’d skate street spots. On summer nights, we’d skate through midtown and other parts of the city, going from plaza to plaza. Once we got kicked out of a spot, we’d move on. I’ve met skaters my age who were sponsored, and most of them are proud of their skating skills in their 20’s, and not their teens like me. I’m glad I was able to get the true skating experience in my 30’s. I was not skating at an advanced level, but I was decent. I got the YouTube videos to prove it!
In my early 30s, I was promoted to manager of a small library in the Rockaways called Seaside. In 2012, I transferred to the nearby Peninsula, and then Storm Sandy happened. I feel I helped people in many ways during that time. I felt the community’s resilience and moved to Rockaway in 2014.
Age 40-49 Art
