It has just rained, and beneath my feet the scooter wobbles as it glides across the slick asphalt. Despite the fact that I am 21 years of age, I can't help but feel the exhilaration of racing down the street on this small toy, one that is most definitely not made for a person of my size. I ride hunched over, and my foot barely fits on the deck, but still I ride. What began as a joke has become a serious hobby, and whenmy friends and I go riding, we definitely feel as though we are a true scooter gang. We are not a gang that celebrates violence, but a gang that shares the love of "scootin," as we affectionately call the sport.
Not too long ago, I scoffed at the idea of the scooter. I thought they were the worst toy ever created, just another fad that drove parents crazy as they scrambled to gobble them up before the Christmas season came. Like the Furbie and Elmo dolls of the past, in my mind the Razor scooter was just another consumer trend, and I held this belief until I finally rode one. As a teenager I missed the whole skateboarding craze, and besides snowboarding, I was never one for the extreme sport scene. But all of a sudden, here was the scooter, and boy was it fun. Soon enough, my friends and I all got one, and we began our "scootin" adventure.
Everyone has
eccentricities; the trick is to celebrate them. Having a scooter gang
sounds weird, but it's not, it is pure excitement. As I have grown older I
have learned many lessons about life, and come to the realization that having
fun should be a top consideration. All sorts of
people criticize my love for the scooter, and I have been told to "grow
up" and "get a life" among other things. But I don't want
to grow up, and if "scootin" is a way to stay young than so be it.
Frankly, I am a self-proclaimed dork. I enjoy things whether they are
weird or not, and I could care less if I was cool. The scooter is hugely
popular among children, but for someone my age, in a counter culture sort of way
it is the dork's answer to skateboarding. Some people have football, some
have baseball; we have "scootin".
My friend Adam wants to purchase light up wheels for his scooter, and after searching the internet for scooter accessories, I have realized just how big the market is. A scooter enthusiast can buy wheels, scooter bags, pads, new bearings, new grips, wheelie bars, grind plates, and scooter lights. Several web sites are dedicated to scooters, and on amazon.com, product reviews of the razor scooter are posted. Here I found other grown adults professing their love for "scootin," what could be cooler? I know how crazy it sounds to get so much joy out of riding a child's toy, but we can't help it, we are scooter aficionados.
My scooter gang
has big plans for the future. We hope to build scooter jumps, a scooter
half-pipe (which is similar to a skateboarding half-pipe, but smaller), and
scoot in as many exotic places as possible. This weekend we are going to
the beach, not really to scoot,
but what's the harm in bringing them along? This is how we celebrate life,
and while the beach may not be exotic, it sure offers a "scootin"
challenge. What could be more fun than five twenty-something guys cruising
the beach on scooters? Not much. And maybe one day, when we've graduated college
and settled into our normal lives and nine to five jobs, we can bring back the
old scooter, and take it for a ride. Life should never be so serious that
it doesn't leave time for a little "scootin" adventure.
The moral of
the story is to have fun and do what you like. Sure I may sound crazy, and
"scootin" may not be your cup of tea, but we all love something.
So go out and find a hobby that you like, one that will offer hours of mindless
fun and help you escape the day. I for one will be out having fun and
"scootin," so if you've ever put down scooters without trying them, do
what I did and give them a shot.