We live in a very competitive world, it’s always been that way, people and animals battling for survival. But times have definitely changed and life is very expensive. With money ruling the world everyone wants to earn their share, and of course a little extra to have fun on the side of all this work.
But here’s the problem:
We need food and shelter to survive, we need money to purchase these things, and we have to have a reliable source of income. A lot of people run small businesses, especially in the skateboard industry. This adds to the competitive nature of our lifestyles, but why? We are all interested in one thing, promoting the sport we love. Why not instead of competing with one another, we just all work together to promote each other and build up a larger consumer base for all. Doesn’t it make more sense to collaborate with others and promote the sport as a whole, rather than trying to be better than the next guy and put others out of business?
Bob Marley was all about bringing people together and trying to have the world unite in peace and stop all the fighting. In Jamaica, in the late 1970’s, there was a major political battle between 2 government officials Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP). Bob Marley was requested to help to try and resolve this battle by holding a “Third World Woodstock” style event called “The One Love Peace Concert” and Bob tried so hard to have them stop competing against one another, join hands and work together to make the life on the island better for all who lived there. Here’s is the actual quote from that Concert when he had the 2 on stage –
| “Just let me tell you something (yeah), to make everything come true, we gotta be together. (Yeah, yeah, yeah) and through the spirit of the Most High, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, we’re inviting a few leading people of the slaves to shake hands. . . To show the people that you love them right, to show the people that you gonna unite, show the people that you’re over bright, show the people that everything is all right. Watch, watch, watch, what you’re doing, because I wanna send a message right out there. I mean, I’m not so good at talking but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. Well, I’m trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands and show the people that we’re gonna make it right, we’re gonna unite, we’re gonna make it right, we’ve got to unite . The moon is right over my head, and I give my love instead. The moon was right above my head, and I give my love instead.” – Bob Marley |
This day was a very, very historic event and it took a great man to be the centre of that hand shake. The wars did not stop completely in Jamaica and even today are still going on, but that vision of unity between those 2 figures will live on as the most symbolic hand shake in the country. And it is proof that anyone can put their differences aside and work together.
(Learn more about the One Love Peace Concert here)
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This entire event really related to one of Bob Marley’s biggest songs written back in 1965 but released on his “Exodus” Album in 1977 called One Love/People Get Ready, and in this song he sings –
“One Love! One Heart! Let’s get together and feel alright.”
This quote can be read in many ways. It could be talking about family and friends, it could be talking about Cities and Countries, it could be talking about enemies, but what it means is that Unity will bring happiness.
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One Love – We all have the same passion
One Heart – we all live for this passion and would be lost without it
Unity – working together to promote what we are passionate about and influence others to have the same amount of passion
Skateboarding is a tough industry. Everybody wants the good product, but nobody wants to pay the big money for it. I’ve seen so many Skate Shops and Indoor Skate Parks come and go over the years and it always comes down to money. They are 2 of the toughest businesses to run, but people keep trying. And without these people trying, we wouldn’t have these cool spots to go to that give us awesome memories for the rest of our lives. But there’s just too much competition out there, and sometimes people forget why they got into that business in the first place – because they loved skateboarding. They loved it so much that they wanted to dedicate their life to it.
These are the people we need to promote.
These are the people who need to unite and stop competing.
And that unity will bring better fortune to all.
Please join hands with me and say, “I love skateboarding…”
Now take a look around at all the other people that just said it with you and help each other to build a bigger future.
Check out a few of my favorite partnering websites and help us to make skateboarding the positive future for more generations to come