When I was six years old, I sat in my living room floor channel surfing with my dad when we stopped on a channel that would permanently affect me for the rest of my life.

"Dad, what is this?" I asked, confused and interested.

"The X games," he responded.

As we sat and watched as Paul Rodriguez skateboarded and other professional skateboarders competed I was intrigued, hooked, and addicted-all at the same time. Once, the competition was over, It began a yearlong battle and debate with my mother began to buy me a skateboard. I tried every tactic. I begged. I complained. I even harassed my grandma to buy me it and not tell my mother, but nothing worked. Finally, after months, my mom gave in.

"Fine, I'll buy you a skateboard," she said.

I remember getting off the bus from school and running all the way to my door step.
A size 7.5 Enjoi whitey panda, Royal trucks, Mini logo bearings, and Enjoi classic wheels-I took it out to my drive way and tried it. As soon as, I stood on my brand new skateboard, it slid out from under me and I feel on my butt. Shocked. Freaked out. Frustrated. All I could think about was what my mother kept saying, as she put in the billing information on the computer.

"You're going to get sick of it and quit after a day," she said, annoyed.

I then tried again. This time, I stood on my skateboard for five seconds without falling and stepped off. However, I remembered that when I was watching the X games that night, they were moving not just sitting still.

I then started a hour long learning curve. I tried to push off, but the wheels would hit a rock. The board would slip out from under me. Or, I would put my foot on the wrong spot and it would miss the board entirely. Finally, I tried again and actually stood on it while it was moving. I got that instant reward. That instant burst of happiness. That instant feeling of awe.

I still remember that day and roughly the spot on my driveway were it happened. Now, being 17-years-old and still skateboarding every single day. I think about what that moment taught me. Matter how much I wanted to stop and give up, I didn't and couldn't.

It taught me that you must be persistent, motivated, committed. Throughout my life wither it be school, Scouting, or art. That moment has motivated me to keep trying things and explore every angle and way possible to do something. It also has helped me with deal with people and at work. Above all, skateboarding taught me that life isn't easy. I don't think college will be easy either. However, I'm ready to spend hours on my school work to get it right, just like that day on my driveway with my very first skateboard.