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9.24.99 The Vote With a skateboard in hand, and a dream in his mind, Mike slowly walked up to the microphone, to beg of the commitee to give him a chance. But after three minutes of him pouring his heart out, the vote stood against him, 6 to 1. He walked out of there with a smile on his face though. Not thinking of what had just been turned down, but what had been opened. He thought of his next plan, his next crusade. After a few months of monotonous work, Mike was ready again, ready to plea, and beg, and simply ask, to have a skatepark in the mid-sized suburb town. Again, he was turned down, this time with an unanimous vote. But yet again, he did not give up. What knocked him down only made him get up faster. He set out again, to the streets, to the parks, and to the companies, to get support. He didn't win them all over but he got enough, enough to ask of the commitee again. The night before, he could not sleep. He just lay on his bed thinking and dreaming of what would become. Images raced in and out of his head, images of youthful skateboarders enjoying themselves, in something that they all, him included enjoyed. Finally the day came. With the sun barely over the horizon, he got dressed, and with twenty others, made his way to city hall, not in his car, but on his skateboard. He felt confident, as always, and did not think of what would happen after the meeting, but what would happen at the meeting. As he carefully let the words out of his mouth, with his companions at his side, he could see the intrigue in the member's faces, he smiled and went on. Ending with, "The skateboarding community is not a problem that needs to be fixed, but a child that needs to be cared for. So with that I ask of you to let us build this park, not for us, but for you." After twenty minutes the chairman of the board came out, went to his speaker and said, "Son, you have convinced us all. You can and will have that park. Good luck." Not showing any reaction Mike walked out of the door, shook some hands, and rode home on his skateboard. Nothing could have made him happier. |