The biggest lesson I learned from my dad is to support children even if they're doing something that is unorthodox.
Interpretation
Parents should support their children's unique choices, even if they are unconventional.
In this quote, Tony Hawk emphasizes the importance of parental support in fostering a child's individuality and creativity. He reflects on the lesson learned from his father about being open-minded and encouraging children to pursue their passions, even when they deviate from traditional paths. This support can be crucial for a child's confidence and growth.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a parent-teacher meeting to encourage open dialogues about supporting children's interests.
The pro skaters I know are responsible members of society. Many of them are fathers, homeowners, world travelers and successful entrepreneurs. Their hairdos and tattoos are simply part of our culture, even when they raise eyebrows during PTA meetings.
I believe that people should take pride in what they do, even if it is scorned or misunderstood by the public at large.
If I can stand up when I'm 80, I'll be happy to cruise around on a skateboard. If I feel like my skills are fading, I just won't do it publicly.
When I started skating, it was such a small community. You didn't aspire to be rich or famous or make a career out of it because that wasn't something anyone had done yet.
I consider skateboarding an art form, a lifestyle and a sport. 'Action sport' would be the least offensive categorization.
My definition of success is doing what you love. I feel many people do things because they feel they have to, and are hesitant to risk following their passion.
Perhaps the best function of parenthood is to teach the young creature to love with safety, so that it may be able to venture unafraid when later emotion comes; the thwarting of the instinct to love is the root of all sorrow and not sex only but divinity itself is insulted when it is repressed. To disapprove, to condemn the human soul shrivels under barren righteousness.
I had moments with my father that were exquisite - the stories he told me about Cuchulain, the mythological Irish warrior, are still magical to me.
My daughter, Grace, was not killed by a gun. She died suddenly at age 5 from a virulent form of strep. As I stood stunned in a church at her memorial, one of the hardest things I heard someone say was, 'I'm going to go home and hug my child a little tighter.' 'Well, good for you,' I thought. 'I'm going to go home and scream.'
When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.
My father was sleepless most of his life. So by the age of five, I was awake with him all night long, watching bad television or we'd lie in the same bed, and I'd read my comic books while he read his latest spy or mystery novel.
Your success as a family... our success as a nation... depends not on what happens inside the White House, but on what happens inside your house.
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