Workaholic
Janine called me a workaholic the other day…and it’s weird because she’s totally right. I used to be the biggest slacker I knew throughout high school and college. I seriously had it down to an art, only putting the minimal amount of time into working as possible. That must have all changed big-time with parkour. I spend entire days (and nights) on the computer sometimes now, working on the never-ending amount of work that comes from running a nonprofit, moderating two parkour communities, working on APK/Tribe stuff, running promotion, learning video production, learning photography, and smuggling miniature chihuahuas across the border (harder than it sounds)…
It’s hard to describe, but I just really believe in this stuff and how important it is. I’m willing to spend all my free time working on IRS 1023 forms for the PNWPA or developing new articles and resources for the community. It’s really exciting to feel like we’re all on the frontier of a massive movement, and I don’t want to get left behind (or the community to be left behind). I tend to migrate from coffee shop to coffee shop during the day, utilizing their wifi to put a dent in my inbox and communicate with the other volunteer soldiers who are slugging through this stuff with me. I train at night as much as I can.
I go to jams nowadays not to train for myself, but primarily to meet the inevitable first timers and run them through the basics before unleashing them upon the world (about 5 per Gasworks jam, and much more per gym jam or clinic). I go to teach, and even when I don’t go with idea of teaching, I end teaching anyway. I just can’t train off on my own while watching others make some of the same mistakes I did when I started, that’s the responsibility of the experienced. I really don’t mind teaching (in fact I actually love it), but I don’t end up with much solid training time of my own any more. Ironically, I had more time to train as a student in college than I do working on parkour stuff full time….
I expect that to change though. My time demands are all self-imposed, I don’t have to be working this hard, and I am learning how to delegate. After the nonprofit has some funding and we can actually hire people I expect the workload to go down a lot. But I don’t mean to complain, this post is about how much parkour has changed my life. Even if that change means buying internet for my phone so I can tether wherever I am to get emails or learning how to code php to add streaming video functionality to APK 
2 Comments
Janine
It’s been interesting to watch you go through this change. From the college student who spent every spare-able moment on parkour, to the professional who still spends every spare-able moment on parkour but in a totally different light. I didn’t mean “workaholic” in a negative way, but sometimes observing you (and helping where I can) I can see you start to wear yourself down.
Now, we all applaud and are inspired by your undying passion to better the scene and help others find parkour. But there’s something to be said about taking time for yourself ( to see a doctor about that finger… or to go grocery shopping… or to take a shower, you smelly hero
) .
~Heartfelt thanks and concern from one of those who benefits from your unending workload.
3 May
Jereme
Yeah pretty intense man, keep up the great work though, you are obviously doing very well with it, and its greatly appreciated
3 May
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