I have no idea who gave birth to them. Heck, I hardly remember when I began to see them around. But maybe that's just me being unobservant. Upon first glance, I thought they were longer skateboards that were a tad more flexible, but upon coming to college, I quickly realized that they frequent the campus.
Now, I have nothing against them. I actually want to learn to ride one (and being accident-prone, that will be a day many do not look forward to). BUT...
Let me give you some reasons why I can't always appreciate them:
1. Possible Collision. When you see someone on a longboard coming straight towards you, you have a major panic attack and frantically debate whether to dive away or to simply stand there with your arms blocking your face as you brace yourself for an impact, but at the last possible second, they swerve and just barely miss you. [Sometimes I wonder if they do this on purpose just to get a reaction. ... Jerks.]
2. Envy. This is definitely one of them. When you see someone zipping past you, you begin to think about how they're going to get to class before you (this fact will bother you a lot more if you already know you're going to be late) and pretty soon, your mood is darker as you finally walk into class, late and sweating, when (surprise, surprise) the same person who passed you by is already comfortably seated with no sign of exhaustion or stress.
3. Just plain cool. In whatever weather. I mean, come on. With one elegant kick of their leg, they can overtake about five pedestrians (if not more). And when they wildly swing their entire body to pick up speed or cut in front of people, now who can say that's not attractive?
Hold on. A memory's coming back to me. It was earlier last month and I remember it being a beautiful morning. There's a small exit out of a parking lot that leads out onto the main street and it's a path that's part of my journey to campus. When I say small, I mean small. They designed it so that only one person at a time could fit through it. It also has a strange design in that you enter, turn right when you get to a small gate of sorts, turn left as your meet another small gate before finally exiting onto the sidewalk to join the stream of students. Now, I've never encountered any problems when going through. Sometimes, there will be someone coming in but one of us would wait politely for the other to get through first(that, or push past one another).
BUT, that morning would change my expectations. Forever.
I was walking toward this 'gated exit' and I could see someone on his longboard heading straight for the same area. I was about two feet away and in my mind I truly believed he would stop and get off his longboard to walk through this little snakey-bend. But as he continued in, going just as fast, it felt as if everything were moving in slow motion. This is how it went. Keep in mind that everything was in slow motion- including thoughts.
I see that he's not getting off his longboard as I'm practically at the entrance and am thinking dramatically, We're going to crash. I see his eyes widen as he swerves elegantly around the bends, catching my gaze as we continue toward one another. By his expression, I could tell he was thinking the same thing. But what gets me all the time is what he does next.
He leaps off his longboard.
Don't ask me why. Maybe he thought he would avoid a collision. Or maybe he thought it was heroic. I really haven't the slightest clue what possessed this guy to jump.
Don't ask me why. Maybe he thought he would avoid a collision. Or maybe he thought it was heroic. I really haven't the slightest clue what possessed this guy to jump.
Because he flew straight into me.
Neither of us fell. Neither of us cried out.
It was a like a silent film that was playing in slow motion.
I'm sure it looked hilarious to whoever caught sight.
It was a like a silent film that was playing in slow motion.
I'm sure it looked hilarious to whoever caught sight.
And maybe what I did next confused him as his flying leap did me.
After we both got our footing back, he apologized to me.
In response, I nodded with a stoic expression, said it was okay and continued on my merry way as if this extremely comical situation had never occurred.
After we both got our footing back, he apologized to me.
In response, I nodded with a stoic expression, said it was okay and continued on my merry way as if this extremely comical situation had never occurred.
Because of this experience though, I now flinch at the sound of approaching wheels on concrete and look around, completely paranoid, for the source in case I need to fling myself out of the way.
I really don't hate longboards. I'm hoping to get one soon.
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thought of the day
Have you ever had a time where something you thought would never happen to you, happened?
examples: getting stuck in an elevator with ten other strangers, being charged as a pedophile when you were simply handing back a dropped item to the child, having no money to pay at a restaurant after you've already eaten, etc.
