A story that shaped my life would have to be my years as a skateboarder.  I started skating in the fifth grade and it became an everyday activity.  It got in the way of schooling for a few years and my grades started to decline.  I eventually balanced them out.  What shaped my life from it though, was the fact that it became an escape from reality for me.  Any time I was dealing with problems and wanted to avoided them, that's when my board hit the asphalt.  It was soothing for me.  The sound of the sidewalk cracks as I passed over each one.  Then no sound at all, but still spinning wheels and my board rose into the air for a trick that I would perform.  Skating blocked out everything for me and became my therapy.  I haven't skated much lately and it upsets me very much.  But I was able to do it the other day and I realized, I have to get back out there.