“My gift is going slow.” – Mister Rogers
It’s odd beginning an article for a skateboard company quoting Mister Rogers. But there is great wisdom in what he said. His gift to the world was going slow…and ensuring children felt supported and loved.
While so much of television is fast-paced, cold, heartless, and mean-spirited, Mister Rogers exhibited the opposite. And he did it by going slow, getting to know the kids, what they needed, and what they wanted.
He was able to help so many people by slowing down, understanding them, and loving them. Our world is moving at a lightening pace. Nothing is slow. Except for learning how to skateboard.
I keep coming back to the essence of what thrills me about this sport—one I get to start doing again now that Phoenix is no longer the surface of the sun. One of those things is that I don’t have to rush to learn it. I have to go slow and work at the sport to be decent at it.
You have to go slow, or you get hurt. You have to take time to understand the board, the gear, and the art form. Then you can skate. And do it without getting hurt.
The more Mister Rogers slowed down the more he touched lives.
The more we slow down and take our time to learn how to skate, the more we will be impacted and impact others around us.
So, slow down, enjoy the sport, and love someone today.