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This post began this morning from a cup of coffee and the genuine concern of a parent of rollerbladers and ended up becoming a practice in reflection and contemplation upon my own life growing up as a rollerblader which has been a pleasurable exercise indeed and turned into the response and eventual inspiration to share what I discovered at large to any other parents who may presently find themselves becoming parents of Rollerbladers as well.

What you will read below are The words that came to me during this session of contemplating my own history in the raw. I Chose to share these words to a bigger audience because I felt them to be more universal then personal with the possibility of shedding light onto this activity which influenced and guided my life since the age of twelve.

This morning I received a message from a mother of rollerbladers inquiring about Mothering her rollerblading children and interestingly enough I felt that at my current age that I was able to reflect upon my own childhood as a rollerblader and possibly offer some words of understanding and encouragement from what I feel to have learned growing up as a rollerblader.

There are many things I can not fully understand about your position because I am not a parent or mother, but I can imagine Wanting to protect them and make sure they are safe is most important. What I can say is that focusing on skating and becoming better at it protected me from doing many other things around me which were not healthy to focus on. Rollerblading has been my biggest teacher in life and the biggest gift as well. It has taught me what the words focus, commitment, and devotion really mean, and also the importance of being healthy and strong in order to live a life I want and be able to live a life that is rewarding and fulfilling regardless of whether I became a professional or not. I have become a professional two times before, but what my focus on it taught me was infinitely more valuable then sponsors or popularity.

I think one of the most valuable gifts it has to offer is the ability to become strong as an individual and think for oneself which I can imagine as a parent is what you would want for your children so that they can support themselves in this life.

When I first started as a 12 year old it was when this all was first beginning and there weren’t a lot of examples but I think this was helpful because it forced us to use our imaginations to make fun for ourselves and to learn how to do that which I feel is something that is very important. Examples can be helpful but creating purely from what is inside of ourselves and learning how to do that by ourselves can be priceless so I wouldn’t worry too much about that.

Life is dangerous no matter what they are going to do, but I feel that they are learning a great deal about life experientially if they continue to follow their love for what they are doing in their lives and also for you personally to support them in this whatever they choose to do will be most valuable.

My mother fully supported my skating when I was younger and it is one of the things I Love her the most for doing.

I did not have any one to teach me how to skate and I had no idea what I was doing at all, but for some reason I wanted to do it all the time and I even eventually ended up creating new ways of skating that influenced the growth of it in the future and allowed me to travel all over the world and learn many things.

All I had was videos and magazines and there was no internet like there is now. As children we learn so much by just watching videos which is good and as you know can be bad depending on the influence and they will learn to gravitate towards what feels good for them and what is fun as they progress naturally alongside with your Loving Support which will be your best tool for helping them grow into healthy and strong individuals. Skating alone is not so bad, and often helps one figure out a purity in doing what feels right to them.

Due to the universality of this message I decided to post this unedited response to said Parent of a rollerblader. I did not ask for permission as while I was writing it I discovered it to be more of a general and applicable message for any parents of rollerbladers and that is why I am sharing it here in hopes that it may offer any level of insight possible.

I would like to finish this message by saying thank you always to my own Mother who supported me every step of the way and still continues to do so this very day. It is because of Her and and the sacrifices she made in her own life that I was able to discover what it would mean to follow my heart and live my own.

“So,  I have been doing quite a bit of dancing since my last entry. I am currently dancing in Sweden with Fredrik Andersson which is where I have been for the last 3 days and will be travelling Europe for the next month filming, and attending Winterclash at the end of February.”

This particular Post was stored in the rough draft section of this blog which I will now attempt to jump back into during my current state of being 5 years post the words which are above. This last Post actually began during my first trip outside of my first 6 months in Peru which involved an invitation from Fredrik Andersson to attend a Rollerblading Event at his skatepark. After spending so much time in a very small rural town in the Andes, this was my first introduction back into “Reality.”

Of course we are never not in reality but I use this word to describe the systems and patterns you who are reading this are more likely to find yourself being embedded within whether by choice or not. At the time I can remember it being quite a shock to me so much so that I could not even really understand at the time how much of a shock it was and was simply just doing my best to be present with it as well as learn how to Rollerblade again and do “tricks.” At the time I had some skates which were sent to me to try waiting for my arrival. I knew this before hand so I had left My previous skates in Peru which were a pair of modified size 8 Rollerblade Estilos with Adapt soul plates and kaltik frames.

My time spent in the Andes was really the first time I had removed myself from the comforts of my identity as the Rollerblader known as Rob G. To whom I had been existing as since the name was acquired some time in Highschool as a nickname during my Teenage years, And for the first time in a long time being just a normal Dude from California with Zero expectations to be anything else other then what I was in the moment. Feeling into this last statement, I can see that essentially being nothing within my experience as a human being and free to express myself as I am in any given moment from that Moment is really how I would like to consistently be. This of course is up to me and how I choose to either direct or not direct my awareness so we shall see how that unfolds from here on out.

I think this previous paragraph also accurately describes the last 2 years of my life all the way up until this present moment from where these words flow. I get the feeling that to speak of oneself in somewhat of a “third person” perspective can also be “taboo” but if you are someone who will want to continue reading these entries (that is if they do actually continue after this one,) Then you will have to get used to it. Another thing you will have to get used to is my lack of proper educational grammar and spelling. Truth be told my education only really covers up until 8th Grade. After that Period of time, Rollerblading and all of its incredible influences completely took over the direction of my life in a new way. At this time Highschool felt like more of a prison sentence that was necessary to complete. The only thing my mind and heart were in tune with was Rollerblading which is true in this very moment.

This unknown force pulled me in and although at times was not the Main Focus of the moment continued to remain present every day in some shape or form for the last 28 years of my life.

What you are presently reading is an in the moment live dictation of what this thing called the “mind” is producing in a state of reflection or contemplation. This is also an attempt to get into this practice once again and see just what unfolds from it as well as observe how you the reader are receiving these words and whether you are interested in the continuation of this self dialogue and seeing more. If you are interested in reading more and also maybe how I feel about what is currently happening not just in my own blading but blading past, present, and future please let me know. I actually need to learn how to use this thing again but I will do so if there is an expressed interest in wanting to read more.

If I see there is a demand then I will continue, along with more participation in the other online avenues I am connected to which are presently limited to

Instagram: @robertguerrero.earth

I basically have an instagram because it is just the way it is and the times we are in but In reality I am in a constant conflict with it as I honestly do not feel the social media experiment to be healthy overall for human beings in our current state of development as a species. As a tool I can see what it’s fruitful possibilities are, but we have yet to fully realize its potential in regards to just what we are doing on this planet with our Lives and whether our actions are in balance with this planet(our home) and the rest of life’s expressions.

YouTube: Robert Guerrero or Controlled Accidents

This channel contains all of my first Vlog entries ever and future ones depending on the response of this experimental post.

This name “Controlled Accidents” comes from a Lecture by Alan Watts called “the Art of the controlled accident,”. This felt to be a proper description of how I understood my life to be flowing.

It has been many many moons since I have posted an entry on this blog.  Not this exact one, but the original blog that I began in 2008.  Its been roughly about 3 years of moons , so long that many of you may not even remember I used to have a blog. When I started, it was a place for me to document pictures, videos, and stories of all the travels that I have been blessed to go on through this art I love called Rollerblading.  Rollerblading itself is a physical activity that everyone can do, but I believe it becomes an art when the individual spends enough time doing it that they make it their own, through their unique way of moving their body in motion on wheels.

I’ve decided to start it again because I miss it. For me this process is a completely free flowing one, where I let my mind roam to wherever it wants and then put it down in here. Its really fun for me, and people in the past have enjoyed reading it as well so its pretty much a win win.  Although skating professionally can be like this, its not always so fun and easy. Not because the act of skating isn’t fun and easy because it is, but all of the mental barriers that arise from continuously trying to progress yourself along the path.  Ask anyone who has been skating long enough and you will find that doing what you love is not always that easy.

For myself, I can say that dealing with self criticism has been my biggest barrier . When I was young I did not think about why I skated or  whether it was good enough or current enough. I just skated because it was all I wanted to do and all I can think about.  It was much easier for me then (early 90’s) because everything was so new. There were only about 3 or 4 grinds that were actually known, and thoughts of sponsors and filming parts were non existent.  It was a much simpler time that seems prehistoric now that I’m thinking about it. And it really is.

I think a lot of people my age and from my generation have all gone through very similar trials and tribulations. You start by having fun, then you get recognized and sponsored and reach a high level of skill and notoriety. At one point you kind of “peak,” and your kind of on top of the world. You think you have made it, and then the buzz of being their either wares off, or you simply grow out of that person that you have created in the limelight and are not really sure where to go from there.  Its kind of like you have pushed that person or ego as far as you can, and you don’t get the same thrills you once got and it doesn’t fulfill you. Your left with the question “where do I go from here?”

This question doesn’t always require an answer. Sometimes your just naturally driven to skate differently and you follow that.  You can see this happen in anyone who has skated long enough. Its natural to change because everything in life is changing all the time.  It is something we either embrace and flow with or fear and fight. I would say that I have a foot in each side. Sometimes its easy for me to  feel free to create whatever comes to mind regardless of any external pressures, and sometimes my mind gets the best of me and critical thoughts of what I think I “should” be doing impede my natural growth. It reminds me of a time I was telling a story to my brother in-laws father and I used the word “should”  in a sentence and he instantly replied “Never should on yourself.” If you sound it out you will get the joke. He’s a witty man.

Which leads me to where I am at in life now. I am 32 years old, been skating for roughly 20 years, and have been  traveling on wheels around the world for the past 13 of those years. About 4 of those years were spent unsponsored, but even then I was still traveling and skating and putting out sections.  I will be honest and say that I can’t do EVERYTHING I used to do in my young age, but at the same time I wouldn’t want to.  In your younger years a lot  of what you do on blades is driven by the need to be accepted amongst your peers and be the best at what is accepted as the “best” during that time frame. Eventually that doesn’t fulfill you, and you must go inward to find out what makes you happy on blades.

I am not saying that I have mastered this phase of life. Far from it. I am still very critical of myself and sometimes when out filming leave a session angry because I couldn’t think of the “right” trick to do or didn’t land a trick the way I “should” have landed it. Expectations are a killer. Not only a killer of fun, but also they can be a killer of your body especially with what we put ourselves through just to get the trick right. Depending on how I feel a session can just flow freely and ideas come to me and then I just make them happen with little or no disturbance, or I end up getting nothing “accomplished” at all and tumble down a spiral of negativity. If you skate and your reading this I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about. We seem to be a group of people that are extremely self critical. It can be a trait that makes us great, or hinders us from simply cutting loose and expressing the unique abilities that are naturally inherent in all of us individuals.

I am not old by any means, however in “Rollerblading Years” I’m pretty much a dinosaur you could say. The gap between the generation I grew up skating in and the present one is HUGE. Its a different world with different tricks levels, different mentalities, and different technologies documenting it all. It’s only been 3 years since my last entry and just in that short amount of time the internet and how we view skating has changed drastically. The last time I updated my blog I think I had an old blackberry and even at that time for me that was advanced. I now have a new iphone and the thing is basically like another limb and I’m always thinking about what do let the world know what I’m doing.

I choose to love technology. Technology itself is neutral.  Its a medium for your expression of who you are and who we are as humans.  It’s a great way to stay connected and access information about anything in a matter of seconds. If I have a question about anything, I can press a button, ask my phone, and it will give me the answer. It’s really nuts.

My view on technology is that it is here for us to connect with each other as a species and create a interweb that supports us in bringing out the best in ourselves.  I think the pattern of what media has done in the past is limit us to our fears and prejudices and what makes us seperate. Now with the power of the internet we have the ability to change that negative spin on humanity and show all the great ways that connect us and make us human. I think that with easy access to photo apps and music making apps and all the ways that are available for us to be creative through technology can catapult us into a technological renaissance, maybe even one day  filling the streets with dance and music and art and all that.  Of course we have to collectively make these types of changes in thought and action, but there has never been a time where change can happen so quickly as it can now. I think we are all being brought so close together through the internet so we can work out the things that separate us and instead rejoice in the things that bring us together and enjoy the beauty in our differences.

This of course probably sounds like some lofty dream, but it has been a vision that has come to me frequently over the past few years, and one I have seen expressed before in many ways all over the internet and in real life via flash mobs and live music festivals in the streets of Europe.  We can either move that way, or down a path of self destruction which is the path we are headed down now as a collective.  Of course both are possible and the underlying fact relative to both of them is that it all comes down to the individual choices we all make that guide us as a whole. I believe the voice of the individual has never been as powerful as it is now…

If you have made it this far then I applaud you. All of this has just streamed from my fingers in the last hour and 15 minutes. I honestly had no idea where it was going to go when I decided to start typing so I’m sorry if its so wordy. I promise there will be more picture stories in future updates.

Here is a quick update of the last few months of my life.  During my visit to Canada over the summer I planned to save up money and go to India to take a yoga teacher training course.  Not only did I find this choice to be good for my physical healing as I have been beating my body up for the last 20 years, but also an overall great practice for the longevity of my body for the rest of my life. Skating can be a very  fulfilling practice inwardly, but outwardly the impact it has on your body is always a negative one in reference to your joints.

Upon telling my Sister this news, she invited me to stay with her for the coming months until I would eventually leave for the trip. I agreed happily as it would be a great opportunity to spend time with my brother in Law and Nephews, which has also turned out to be a huge blessing. During that time I also got a Job catering in hopes of saving up enough for the trip. As it got closer to the time I would be leaving, I realized that the trip was more of a fantasy then reality and having the catering job was barely helping me  through the month financially do to some untimely auto repairs and bills.

During the last couple months I was able to spend some much needed quality time with my nephews, and skate around some areas I don’t normally frequent when I am usually in the Bay Area. Oakland has a pretty happening scene and I got to  have many sessions there at their Wednesday Night Skate. I had super fun sessions with people like Kennan Scott, Erik Garcia, Victor Arias, and many others. I love the WNS in Oakland because it has the same exact vibe for me as the old Friday Night Skates that used to go down in San Francisco in the 90’s.

I have also been doing a lot of Yoga at the Local YMCA. I enjoy doing yoga here because its so lax. No one in there is worried about what your wearing or if you can do the postures good.  Everyone is there because they are genuinely interested in their overall well being.  Surprisingly, I never thought of doing yoga to build strength but it is actually helping  with not only that but balance as well.  It makes me aware of my muscles and how to properly use them so that  other parts of myself like my back, hips, and knees don’t get over stressed.

Speaking of knees, I actually havn’t been skating the last few weeks due to some pain I have been feeling in my left knee that I have never felt before. Its been a REAL bummer, as I am going to begin life on the road again starting the middle of next month with a skating trip to Puerto Rico. My brother in law who is a personal trainer gave me a quick assessment, and told me that its probably a tight IT Band, which is the muscle that runs from your hip all the way down the side of your leg to your foot.  When it is tight it can rub against your knee causing pain similar to what I am feeling.  The remedy? Foam roller, self massage,  and using a lacrosse ball to loosen it up. This is the first time I have ever felt something like this so it was a bit scary but now that I have some remedies to try I feel less scared and informed.

So yes, life on the road begins again next month, and this year I plan to be traveling A LOT on my Rollerblades filming edits, updating this blog, and continuing to share these stories with all of you. I am a pretty avid instagrammer so you can continue to follow me there as well as on facebook, and also look to my sponsor Rollerblade on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/trsrollerblade) where there will be clips and stories from my travels as well. I plan on racing a couple marathon’s and doing more non grinding type blading on the many different high quality blades that Rollerblade makes which you can find at http://www.rollerblade.com.

Once again, thank you for reading this very wordy entry, and I promise the next one is going to have some photos/video to go along with it. I hope everyone is doing well and making the best of their time on Earth! Cheers!