seeing and sharing
I’ve seen a lot on the streets over the last five years of rolling around. People signing, playing instruments, sporting costumes, yelling, whispering, fighting, loving, having sex, hurting, overdosing, and even dying. Some of them engage, others don’t want to be videoed. Some are ready for showtime, others don’t want any part of the stage.
People don’t always understand why I’m videoing. It took me a little while to figure it out. Primarily, I am trying to share the sights and sounds I see regularly in a way that people can feel as if they are right there with me on my board. A board’s eye view, so to speak.
stereotypes
Some people are put off by skateboarders in general. Others don’t like the looks of me. Especially after a fall with blood and torn clothes.
Without my board, I have been mistaken for living on the street. A few of the city’s homeless even dress better.
On occasion, I have been mistaken for a member of Antifa. In light of last year’s protests, I can understand why some officers and even firemen do not like being recorded.
My skateboard acts as a double edged sword. While scary to some people, it also has the ability to make people smile. Many people enjoy seeing a guy who looks too old to be on a skateboard out having fun. The smile on my face and energy I exude is often contagious.
Showtime
Sometimes, the city offers me a show, but other times, not even a tumbleweed. Sometimes I’m putting on a show doing tricks and moving with high energy, other days, I’m short on energy and style.
Over the last two weeks, the images I’ve captured include the mayor, the governor, a fist fight, and that fireman dancing.
On a pretty uneventful couple days of skateboarding around downtown, I was glad to catch a fireman doing a little dance for the camera.
these are the people in my neighborhood
What I saw on that day the fireman danced were first responders doing their job. Police and Fire Department employees helping who many believe to be among the least of us. They were responding to a homeless man laying on the ground, like so many I’ve seen, assisting him with medical care. I thought it was a notable moment worth recording and sharing.
The dance added something extra I wasn’t expecting. Even though it didn’t last long before showtime was over, the moves were worthy of going viral on TikTok.
After posting a short clip of the incident, someone tagged the fireman on my Facebook page gave a shout out to the “Fighting 13’s” I’ll leave him nameless here as he never responded to the tag. But I hope to see him again one day, so I can tell him how much I appreciate his service to the people of Indianapolis.