'...Truth is the middle bolt running from one end to the other...'
The Zohar
Something inspirational about skate culture is that skaters are applauded for their efforts regardless of their skill level. If a beginner persistently attempts a certain trick and eventually lands it he'll receive cheer from skaters who had witnessed his struggle and eventual triumph. This is so even when the trick is deemed quite simple in the eyes of the onlookers. Indeed, why is this the case? Why aren't the elite skaters the only one's receiving praise?
Perhaps its because skateboarding is largely about overcoming personal limitations in order to break through to higher levels of performance. And, since every skater has his set of personal challenges, irrespective of whether he's a novice or a pro he'll be admired for giving his all to overcome them. Conversely, even if a pro skater stops labouring to advance, his skating loses much of its lustre. Of course people will still be amazed at his ability - even be in awe of him - yet, in losing his determination to advance, he disconnects from his 'point of truth', that is, his ability to perform optimally at his level, and this definately detracts from his skating.
Expressed differently, having ceased chasing the potential of the future, he has become an expression of his past efforts. And since the present moment is the juncture between the relatively fixed past and the open future; the 'point of truth' - the 'middle bolt' -in the flow of time, one lopsided toward his past achievements disconnects himself from the present and thus, from truth.
This may manifest in a skater's character. Ideally one should balance a sense of 'greatness', based largely on past accomplishments, and a sense of 'smallness', evoked by gazing at what can still be accomplished in the future and seeing how dwarfed one's current level is in light of it. Since one's past achievements are limited, while the potential for future progress is relatively unlimited, one's sense of 'smallness' should be much stronger than one's sense of 'greatness'. Accordingly, the skater who ceases struggling to progress tends to become sullied with smugness and arrogance - an exaggerated sense of 'greatness' - while one forever striving to climb to higher rungs of the infinite ladder of progress is humbled by the truth that shines through him...
It's nice to hear that in skating people's milestones are recognised and applauded. In real life, however, people may pass milestone after milestone, and think that they have not progressed at all, because no-one ever recognises their achievements. The key is, then, for one to guage his own progress, by looking at himself now, and comparing it to how he was a year ago, two years ago, and take heart.
ReplyDelete