I am trying to get better at skateboarding. Not tricks or anything, just moving from place to place on a skateboard. It is hard though, not because skateboarding is hard, its really not that bad once you stop freaking out, but because people feel the need to judge me for trying it.

Not my friends. My friends reactions range from support to amusement to disinterest. No. Its strangers who seem to really give a shit.

Way more males than females skateboard. And you see tons of guys of all ages skateboarding, and some of them are good and some of them aren't. They fall off, believe me, I've seen it. And no big deal, the kid or the teenager or the guy just picks his shit up and gets back on. But you have less females skateboarding in the first place, and the ones that do are probably already good at it. So the sight of a grown woman learning to skateboard is rare. And apparently, ripe for judgment.

The other day I was going around the east village on the skateboard. it was midday, I had a few hours to kill before my next t utoring session, the streets weren't too crowded. I was enjoying myself and doing pretty well. Staying on anyway. Then I got to an intersection and some uneven road and I bobbled. No big deal, I just jumped off and picked up the board and started over. This dude was watching me and he clearly wanted to come over and tell me something about what he thought about my lack of skateboarding expertise. He followed me for blocks trying to catch my eye and give me some fatherly advice. He himself was not a skateboarder, just an oldish guy. I avoided him cause the following was creepy, but wtf? Whatever he had to say, I didn't want to hear it. I really don't want advice from complete strangers. And I fucking bet he wasn't telling every 10 year old boy he saw that they should be more careful.

It just pissed me off. How is a person supposed to try something new with everyone giving you a fishy eye? Although know what? Now that I think about it, its NOT everyone. Its old guys and fancy women of all ages. Those are the people who seem to find it unseemly that i'm trying to skateboard. Little skateboarding boys think its funny for a second, but don't really care, and guys who skateboard have actually been pretty nice to me, offering pointers,  telling me about skateboarding events. So old dudes and chicks in heels: Just shut your mouth. Let me suck at skateboarding in peace. When I fall off and fuck up my face you can laugh. To yourself. I really don't want to hear it.