“I finally found the energy to come outside. It had been a long stretch of watching nice days go by. It’s easy to get into the prison of routine. But this morning my mom poured me a cup of orange juice. She had this song playing in the kitchen: ‘For The Good Times,’ by this old, southern artist named Al Green. Really old, even before your time. But I love it.
It got me going. And by the time I finished my orange juice, I said: ‘I’m doing it. I’m going outside today.’ There was a moment of doubt when I was in the shower. There was some hair frustration. I was trying to detangle it, and it didn’t want to work with me. So I was about to give up. I was about to head back to bed. But I pushed through, and on the way out the door I grabbed my new skateboard.
I just got it yesterday-- $230, but worth it. Rides extra smooth. I caught the Q11 Bus to the Jamaica Avenue subway, and I didn’t even pay at the turnstile. I did this thing where the skateboard went under, and I jumped over. I did it in front of a bunch of people. And I felt like a boss: 'yah, you saw me.' There were some women there, and not a lot of women skateboard.
So I put one on for the girls. Rode the E-train straight into the city. It’s a long ride, but at least I never had to switch trains. And now I’m here. There’s good music playing. Everyone is doing something different. And the weather is perfect. The wind is blowing, but not enough to mess up my hair. It’s completely clear. The sun is on my skin.
There aren’t any clouds going over, trying to make me chilly for a few minutes. If I get too hot—I’m just gonna wander into the shade. It’s up to me. It's one of those days I'm in complete control.”