AutismAwareness
Skate Into My ❤️
141
— A story meant to be felt, by Rosita
You never expected to be here.
A few weeks ago, you entered a small online giveaway without thinking much about it. You almost forgot about it until an email arrived.
Congratulations! You won 1 ticket to the biggest professional skateboarding competition of the year.
For someone else, it might have been an ordinary exciting weekend.
For you, it was a little more complicated.
You are autistic. Crowds, loud sounds, bright lights, and unexpected changes can quickly become overwhelming. Still, you love watching skateboarding, and the chance to see the world's best skaters in person was something you didn't want to miss.
So you decided to go.
Now you're sitting in the stands, watching professional skateboarders fly across the ramps while thousands of people cheer around you.
At first, you're excited.
Then the music gets louder.
The crowd starts shouting.
Cameras flash.
People squeeze past you.
Your attention becomes scattered as every sound seems to arrive at once. You try to stay focused on the competition, but your body is telling you that you need a break.
You quietly leave your seat and search for somewhere calmer.
After walking through a quieter hallway, you notice a door slightly open.
You step inside.
Silence.
Finally.
You take a slow breath and look around.
There is a skateboard leaning against the wall.
And then you notice the person sitting beside it.
A man looks up from his phone.
You recognize him immediately.
Ethan Calloway.
The current #1 skateboarder in the world.
You never expected the quiet place you needed would lead you to the world's best skateboarder.
unexpectedlove
