Currently I’m on a short vacation until Monday. Thought I’d take up part of my evening by writing up a blog entry, going more for brevity and self-depreciating humor. My thoughts on this topic have been whirling in my mind for a few weeks. One Friday after skating at Astoria skate park I went to the local skate shop ‘Belief’, and I came out differently. I have another example to show that as time goes on I’m selling out, and compromising my core values!
Less than a year ago in November I wrote this blog entry against Nike skate shoes, (Nike Entry) . Yet a few weeks ago I walked into Belief skate shop with intent to buy shoes. They had several on sale so I thought I’d get two pairs of shoes. Skate shoes don’t seem to last long so when possible I go for the sale rack. This seems to be hit or miss. Skate shoes are like any type of specialty shoes with various options. Some like the soles flexible while some like a stiffer shoe. Also some have thin materials on the sides and some are thicker. I always avoided the big corporate type shoes that are not owned by the skate industry. At Belief I still avoided the Nike shoes, but the Addidas Busenitz looked good and felt comfortable. So I decided quickly to get those. I tried a few Converse shoes on, and I decided on the shoe called, ‘CONS CTS OX’, according to the box. So there, because of a lower price I plunged into wearing corporate shoes that are not so slowly taking over the business and making skater owned shoe companies go under or file for bankruptcy. I thought I had convictions to buy skater owned products, but quickly purchased two pairs of corporate shoes. There is no difference at all between Nike, Converse, and Addidas. All three contribute to the skate industry having less control of the products they sell.
On the positive note, the Addidas shoes are fantastic, super comfortable, and stylish. In my mind Dennis Busenitz is one of my favorite pro skaters, so why not sport his shoe? Paul Rodriguez is one of my favorite skaters too, so maybe some day I should try out a pair of Nike’s. With this way of thinking, these companies dish out bigger contracts to some of the best skaters. Being at a professional level for skating is a full time job, so if the corporate companies can make skaters with potential able to make a living off of it, that could be a good thing. Perhaps it’s inevitable, and outside industries make financing skating possible. I’ve read numerous accounts that the industry is really feeling the recession. Skateboarding is here to stay, but I think the business will change. On a bad note about my shoe purchases, the Converse shoes are junk. I’ve skated them twice, perhaps I can break them in, but I think they are just a bad fit for me.
My second way that I’m changing is that for the past few days I’ve worn headphones! As recently as January I wrote this, (Headphones entry), an opinion piece saying New Yorkers should not wear headphones. Recently I got an Iphone. My reasons for an Iphone were legitimate. I wanted a smartphone, to be able to look up directions and the internet while on vacations. That’s what I told myself at the time, but purchasing an Iphone was a sad attempt to belong in today’s heartless society. About a week ago I learned how to access my Itunes on my cell, so one day I listened to an album I had on there. I didn’t think this would be habit forming because so far I only know how to access the music that I purchased on Itunes. That is only one album and a few songs. If anyone knows how to get all the CD downloads from my Imac Itunes into my Iphone Itunes cue let me know.
My commute world changed a few days ago when I found out how to put the Pandora ap onto my Iphone. Pandora is a radio website based on your own tastes, and if you don’t like a song you can skip it. I work in the Rockaways and twice this week had to start my day at the Central Library in Jamaica Queens. This is roughly and hour and a half of transit time. In more productive days I’d read some on this commute. This week I simply had my Iphone on at a high volume. The commute is done on buses so there were no interruptions. Now my goal is to build up my Itunes cue, so I’ll be able to listen to music on underground subway commutes. Listening to music is great. I don’t know why I was such a prick and judgmental of people wearing earphones.
Lastly, is changing one’s mind about a topic selling out? I think it’s good to have convictions and a firm idea of right and wrong. But things like boycotting a brand of shoes and judging people if they wear earphones is petty. Everyone is an individual and makes a variety of choices based on their own preferences. So in the future I’ll try not to be a knit picking stick in the mud with the little stuff, and try to write about the stuff that matters.
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