~*...no one else exists except us...*~

embarrassment is the reaction of those who have too much invested in what other people think.

i've always been of the mentality that i don't really care what other people think of me. some people don't like the clothing i wear, some people may not like my potty mouth, some people just don't like themselves when they're around me. meh, that's alright, everyone is entitled to their own opinion...they're also entitled to my opinion too ;)

but teaching snowboarding to kristin's brother, liam, has taken me beyond not caring about what other people think about me. to not care about other people's opinions first begins with rekognizing that other people exist and have an opinion.

teaching liam, an autistic child, has helped shape my perspektive on investment in other people's opinions. he has taught me to focus my time and energy on the matter at hand, and shut out everything else that is happenning around us. what's in front of me requires my complete attention.

some people might feel embarrassed or self conscious if their child threw themselves on the ground in the cafeteria screaming and yelling while banging his head on the ground. a year ago, hell, a few months ago i might also have felt that way. but not any more. all that matters is the situation at hand. nothing else exists except what is happening in front of me. no one else's opinion matters, no one else exists except us...and all liam really needs is to let it out.

"ok. you done liam? great, now do you want apple juice or orange juice to drink? awesome buddy. thanks for using your words."



three nights in a row at c.o.p. i fukkin live to ride!

what's the worst part about being a skiier?


















having to tell your parents that you're gay ;)




~*...normaste...*~