Recently, I had another Knee Surgery, which has meant no Skateboarding for a while on one hand and on the other, it has brought me opportunities to connect more with myself.
I set the intention to write more productively every day and working on pieces of writing that I would actually share or contribute towards a bigger project. It's been a while but I'm ready and open! I've been mostly writing for myself, taking the time to introspect the past several years.
On that very day that I started writing, the words flowed like they always had. I took some time to centre myself, connect with my angels and guides. I wrote my title, set the intention for my topic and relaxed and breathed deeply.
Then my fingers started typing, while it felt like the words were being dictated to me inside my mind.
That is the power of Automatic Writing!
So that very afternoon, I received an Email from Michael Brooke, a humble man, known as the former editor of Concrete Waves Magazine. We connected after he read a post that I had written 8 years ago, titled "My Spirituality and Skateboarding"
I set the intention to write more productively every day and working on pieces of writing that I would actually share or contribute towards a bigger project. It's been a while but I'm ready and open! I've been mostly writing for myself, taking the time to introspect the past several years.
On that very day that I started writing, the words flowed like they always had. I took some time to centre myself, connect with my angels and guides. I wrote my title, set the intention for my topic and relaxed and breathed deeply.
Then my fingers started typing, while it felt like the words were being dictated to me inside my mind.
That is the power of Automatic Writing!
So that very afternoon, I received an Email from Michael Brooke, a humble man, known as the former editor of Concrete Waves Magazine. We connected after he read a post that I had written 8 years ago, titled "My Spirituality and Skateboarding"
I had mixed emotions receiving this email.
First, the name "Michael" is important to me, as it represents a connection to Archangel Michael, who usually shows up in my life to guide me when I ask for protection, safety, security and guidance on purpose-related questions. I've had many of these "Michael" experiences in my life that have been life-affirming, life-changing and have brought me a great sense of relief.
For instance, when I was in Hawaii, I hadn't booked a transfer from Kona airport to my hotel and I asked Archangel Michael to send someone to pick me up promptly. As soon as I said this, the driver who pulled up was picking up someone going in the same direction as me. The Driver's name was "Michael".
First, the name "Michael" is important to me, as it represents a connection to Archangel Michael, who usually shows up in my life to guide me when I ask for protection, safety, security and guidance on purpose-related questions. I've had many of these "Michael" experiences in my life that have been life-affirming, life-changing and have brought me a great sense of relief.
For instance, when I was in Hawaii, I hadn't booked a transfer from Kona airport to my hotel and I asked Archangel Michael to send someone to pick me up promptly. As soon as I said this, the driver who pulled up was picking up someone going in the same direction as me. The Driver's name was "Michael".
Image sourced from https://www.klook.com/activity/20247-shared-kona-airport-transfers-hawaii/
Or when I was seeking to move over and work in Okinawa to be with my Wife, I prayed and I was sought out by a name maned "Mike", who ran an English Teachers network and helped me with my internship, homestay experiences and future employment, business networking and different opportunities around the island.
Image sourced from http://studyandinternjapan.com/#sijHome
For me, receiving Michael's message affirmed to me that I'm on the right path and writing and expressing myself more is definitely the way to go! So yes, I felt really excited about this life-affirmation!
Back to Concrete Wave, I was kind of speechless and in awe. I used to read Concrete Wave Magazine when I was a Teen. In a nutshell, it was a Skateboard magazine with inclusion at the forefront. All disciplines, all styles, all skateboarders. I grew up skating mostly on the streets as I didn't enjoy skating parks and loved exploring and filmography, so range and variety of locations was always my focus. I wasn't that interested in skating any other ways but felt that if others could find skateboarding and enjoy it in their own way, that was a really cool and inspiring thing.
Michael is also the author of one of the best books on skateboarding history, called "Concrete Wave - The History of Skateboarding". He recently sold the magazine and is now an Assistant Funeral Director in Toronto, Canada.
Michael shared with me about some of his experiences as an Assistant Funeral Director, his spiritual awakening and consequently the journey that followed after. Basically, Michael supports families through counseling and at funerary procedures for life after death.
Over the years, I've had my share of experiences with the grieving and dying, which usually take place some time after they have crossed over.
Imagine the kinds of healing partnerships that we can form if we had Funeral Directors on board to prepare the family for the dying and connecting with the Dearly Departed after.
Back to Concrete Wave, I was kind of speechless and in awe. I used to read Concrete Wave Magazine when I was a Teen. In a nutshell, it was a Skateboard magazine with inclusion at the forefront. All disciplines, all styles, all skateboarders. I grew up skating mostly on the streets as I didn't enjoy skating parks and loved exploring and filmography, so range and variety of locations was always my focus. I wasn't that interested in skating any other ways but felt that if others could find skateboarding and enjoy it in their own way, that was a really cool and inspiring thing.
Michael is also the author of one of the best books on skateboarding history, called "Concrete Wave - The History of Skateboarding". He recently sold the magazine and is now an Assistant Funeral Director in Toronto, Canada.
Michael shared with me about some of his experiences as an Assistant Funeral Director, his spiritual awakening and consequently the journey that followed after. Basically, Michael supports families through counseling and at funerary procedures for life after death.
Over the years, I've had my share of experiences with the grieving and dying, which usually take place some time after they have crossed over.
Imagine the kinds of healing partnerships that we can form if we had Funeral Directors on board to prepare the family for the dying and connecting with the Dearly Departed after.
http://www.atranquilpassage.com
A Tranquil Passage
Michael recently started a podcast called "A Tranquil Passage", which is all about exploring the sensitive topic of death and dying. Michael's intention is to use music, asking podcast guests to explore "10 songs they'd like to be remembered for at their funeral or end of life celebration" as a catalyst to opening up to the topic of death and dying.
I was a guest on Michael's Podcast recently, where we discussed some of our experiences with death and dying in my work and explored the 10 songs that I want to be remembered by (listed below).
You can listen to the full episode of the podcast on Spotify via this link or in the player below.
Michael recently started a podcast called "A Tranquil Passage", which is all about exploring the sensitive topic of death and dying. Michael's intention is to use music, asking podcast guests to explore "10 songs they'd like to be remembered for at their funeral or end of life celebration" as a catalyst to opening up to the topic of death and dying.
I was a guest on Michael's Podcast recently, where we discussed some of our experiences with death and dying in my work and explored the 10 songs that I want to be remembered by (listed below).
You can listen to the full episode of the podcast on Spotify via this link or in the player below.
Thank you for the opportunity to connect in this way Michael!
I love that we have roots in Skateboarding, which builds up our foundations as people, then we grow, expand outside of that world and come back into it in another way. In this kind of light, we have the potential to bridge communities and worlds. I love that as people, we share a common interest or thread, which then becomes a celebration of the parts of the world that we each explore.
I know there are many more Skateboarders bridging different gaps in the world, inside and outside of their Skateboarding. If you are a Skateboarder or anyone who is interested in exploring different topics through this blog, please email me.
Blessings and love,
Nathan and Friends
I love that we have roots in Skateboarding, which builds up our foundations as people, then we grow, expand outside of that world and come back into it in another way. In this kind of light, we have the potential to bridge communities and worlds. I love that as people, we share a common interest or thread, which then becomes a celebration of the parts of the world that we each explore.
I know there are many more Skateboarders bridging different gaps in the world, inside and outside of their Skateboarding. If you are a Skateboarder or anyone who is interested in exploring different topics through this blog, please email me.
Blessings and love,
Nathan and Friends
RSS Feed
