Introduction into Skateboarding

Most people that know me, know that I love skateboarding but I don't think many people know how I got into it. So before I try to fall asleep which is most likely to fail since I'm on the worst sleeping schedule known to mankind I thought I would tell you how.
I grew up most of my life in the Central Valley of California in a town called Ceres or what I like to to call "The place where dreams don't come true" haha. I went to an elementary school named Walter White till the middle of sixth grade where I switched to the school across the street from our new house. Of course being the new kid at school, everyone was coming up introducing themselves and I instantly became friends with two guys...Mike Bringleson and Carlos Garza. I was really into breakdancing at the time, and would always breakdance at school and try to battle kids. My friend Mike was into skating but never really told me how much he liked it until a few years later in 8th grade. He always told me they were remodeling his bedroom cause he was embarrassed that he had skate pics from magazines all over his wall. Anyways, one day I was there in my dancing gear which consisted of dirty white sweats and a grey pair of pumas and I asked him to show me how to " Bunny Hop " on a skateboard. He first corrected me by telling me it's called an "ollie" and gave me instructions on how to perform the main trick you need to learn to accomplish any other type of trick in skateboarding. After an hour of trying it on the carpet...I ollied! Since that day, I've been hooked. Soon later I bought a used board of some dude and pushed everywhere. Years later, I'm now 26 and my mind is still consumed with this hobby. No matter what is going on in my life, whether it's going great, or the complete opposite all I have to do is just grab my board and start pushing and my problems fade away and I get the biggest smile on my face. Thanks Mike for sharing your hobby with me so many years ago. ( side note - if anyone is in Ceres, on Moffet Rd. infront of the Jr. High Mae Hensley, there's a row of trees on the side of the sidewalk. Infront of the first tree you can look down at the sidewalk and see where Mike and I wrote in the wet cement ( Cris, Mike, skate forever) Keep Rolling.
-Tobal