Tilt Scooters. They’ve been around for 10 years, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Geographically it sits on the West Side of Michigan’s lower peninsula opposite Milwaukee. TiltLife, ScooterLife; it’s a thing. When I was growing up I think the equivalent was skateboarding. Skateboarding is still around, people still do it. I like to think of it like downhill skiiing is to skateboarding like Scootering is to Snowboarding. The analogy makes sense in my mind. Gen X’ers downhill ski and skateboard. Gen Y or the YouTube generation (whatever you call that gen that is our children), scooter. You with me so far?
I’m still figuring out this functionality of wordpress. I’ll bet when we get into the 800’s of this, the daily posts will look quite jazzy! TiltLife. Check out that link. Tilt had a bus. They had mad scooter kidz. They traveled the country in search of flat bars, iron rails, scooter parks, anything they could get cool shots of. They shot video. The Scooter Life reminds me of finding a way in this world and following you passions down wherever that may lead you. We were all 15 once. Some people recall that time as the fondest of your lives. No adulting. Some recall that time as the most difficulty of your lives. Trying to sort out who you are exactly, learning about life, transitioning to be a self-sufficient adult someday but not really thinking about it in those terms. In between being a kid and becoming an adult, a teen. Puberty, trying to find your tribe, all that can be challenging…and exciting and thrilling. Finding music and a way of life that rings true, rings true to your identity, but at the same time not having life experiences to draw on to help you navigate this world. Scooter Life…it’s a tribe, it’s a way of life.
When I think, or try to place myself into, what it would be like to be a scooter kid, I think of this excellent documentary on skateboarding. DogTown & Z Boys. If you don’t have time to watch the full-on doc, here’s the trailer to view.
So Tilt Scooters is a scooter company that makes scooter and all their parts. But I’d like to talk about more than that. This lifestyle and passion and parenting. The greatest gift I think we can give our kids, is getting to know them enough, to know where they connect and find their passions. Whether it be a certain type of music, a tribe, clothes, whatever it is, share that passion with them, and help them navigate through this life with a set of core values that will stand by them throughout life.
I think of my father-in-law, Leon Pielstick, and how he got into all things rodeo and horses and horseshoeing and the Cowboy lifestyle. His father, Elba, was an accountant, I believe became a CPA, which as a career is pretty far off from all things ranching. But Leon says his father Elba encouraged him to do something and follow that Cowboys passion even though it might not have exactly been Elba’s jam. That’s good fathering right there. Leon went on to Vet School at CSU in Fort Collins and built a career as a small and large animal vet in Oregon’s largest county, Harney County, covering the swath of land for all of Southeast Oregon and into Nevada at times. That father’s ability to step outside of himself and get into his kid’s world, led to a career that matched up with Leon’s passions. I’ve gone on ranch visits with the man. I’ve had conversations with him while he was shoulder deep in a cow’s vijayjay for goodness sakes. I want to be that kind of father.
So to wrap this up, this messaging is more for me than anyone. Find your kids passions, not your own. I tried baseball coaching from age three to maybe 4th grade. Lacrosse coaching. The kids went in different directions. With C it’s easy, he loves the music. I love the music. He tolerates me jamming with him though I have zero talents there. Z loves the rap, the scootering, the fishing. I have to find a way to connect and help him and encourage those passions. So Scooter Life, it is. Tilt or whatever cool scooter company and their crazy stickers, get those stickers, live that life. In all things, find joy where joy can be found. Teach your kids to do the same, with kindness, peace. love, and understanding. Because what’s so funny about that? I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere.
Tilt on. Shred a rad rail and tail whip it up. I’m on. Out.
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