Every month I write a little article about Bob Marley and how he affects so many lives in so many ways, myself especially. Everyone has someone they look up to in life and he is the one for me. Every month, and every day, emotions change to reflect what is happening in life – sometimes life is tough and you’re feeling pushed down and depressed and other times it’s all sunshine. This is how any musician makes a solid career, by writing through every type of emotion, and I believe that is why Robert Nesta affected so many people while he was alive, and why his lyrics continue to raise the children of the world. Bob Marley wrote about everything from sorrows to love songs, songs of freedom to songs of rebellion, but most importantly he wrote about unity.

Bob had a vision which equalled success in his mind and it had nothing to do with his own royalty, it was about the societies that he was a part of, the communities he grew up in, and overall mankind being one and getting along. When Bob Marley stood on stage with 2 white political members holding hands together to symbolize unity it was a humungous historic moment. He wasn’t trying to be a hero, he just wanted everyone to get along and stop fighting. The world will evolve further if we all work together instead of trying to compete against one another all the time and deciding who is better and so forth. You can look at this scenario in any part of life, it could be racial, it could be political, or it could be business. There are so many different ways to live your life, and so many paths to choose from. We learn that independence is a luxury, but does it bring you freedom? Maybe it can free one person, but what about the rest of your community? I look at skateboarding and think about the early years when it first began. It was new to everyone so there were no standards and each person belonged to their own group which had their own style and would only see other skateboarders at competitions.

Skateboarding through these early eras became quite competitive, especially in the 1980’s when there were a few key squadrons of hardcore guys. You had the Powell Team, Santa Cruz, H-Street and Vision and they all tried to outdo the others. Their styles were different, their graphics were unique, their videos had different meanings behind them, and when they competed they did so as a team. It was team against team. And what happened at the end of the 80’s? Skateboarding died out, and almost left for good…

When it came back to life in the 90’s, attitudes had changed and everyone was just stoked that the industry was alive again. People started getting multiple sponsors that connected other groups to each other and it became a more collaborative time where everyone started working together to help promote skateboarding as a whole instead of just themselves. And as this mentality grew to be more natural you have what exists today – an industry that anyone is welcomed into that will last forever.

It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about us.

Together we can make it happen, make it exist, make it last, make it an unstoppable force, and just plain make it reality.
It’s amazing the progression that has happened since skateboarding died. Teams do demos together, skaters compete in doubles runs with each other no matter who they’re sponsored by, and companies collaborate with one another on graphics and advertising. The competitive nature, the segregation, the independence and the ignorance of fighting the battle alone have all diminished. We look forward to the future in a positive light and work together to ensure that everything is gonna be alright.

The first line of this song says it all with “Live if you wanna Live” but that’s not the quote I am using.

This month’s Bob Marley quote comes from the song Positive Vibration off the Rastaman Vibrations album and it relates to the Rastafarian leader Haile Selassie simply referred to as Jah and how he guided a nation to be one…

“If you get down and you quarrel everyday,
You’re saying prayers to the devils, I say.
Why not help one another on the way?
Make it much easier. (Just a little bit easier)”

Are you pickin’ up on what’s being put down??

It has been a crazy last couple months, the summer has been super busy and is finishing off quickly, but more new ventures are waiting around the corner and getting me excited. As the weekend approaches fast, I think about how I am ending an era – 10 years of Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey is coming to a close – and every time I think about it I smile ear to ear. I’m not happy that the event is ending so much, but I just can’t help but think of every awesome experience I’ve had with so many different people over the years because of it. I think of all the young kids that have looked up to me as their mentor while they grew up and know that they will always remember me for the rest of their lives as a positive role model and a hero of sorts. I think of the parents who I have grown to have solid relationships with over the years and how much they put their trust in me. I think of people who don’t even skateboard anymore, but will always remember Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey as something they loved to be a part of. And I think of all the kids that I can pick out that will be skaters for life because of these events.

I feel blessed to have been a part of this event and it crushes me inside to take this event away from the existing culture and the next generation, but I am only expanding it to make it better and give even more people a chance to have the same feelings and emotions as this group of family that has created itself around this competition gets to live with.  I need to share the love. We need to share the love.

This month I quote the Bob Marley Song “Rhythm” from the album Selassie is the Chapel –

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The interesting part  about this quote is that the song is an Instrumental and has no written lyrics. But if you listen to it, it has so much to say, so many positive vibrations, and and just gives you that feeling of love and allows you to be free to think of what makes you happy. These guys are just jamming and letting the song make itself, which is basically the way we should live our lives – have control, but allow things to happen on their own. That is how we expand as humans.

As I listen to this song merely 2 days away from the Grand Finale of Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey, the End of and Era, what I am feeling inside is happiness, joy, amazing memories, positive vibes, excitement and the feeling of being blessed with freedom. 

This event will now live in the past, but will always be huge part of history. Now it is time to look ahead at what’s to come and how to make it just as good, if not better.

The future is what we make it, let’s build it together.

With yet another unexpected death in my family a lot of us are lost in sorrow and raw emotions. It gets tougher every day when you think about how we spend our lives meeting people and falling in love all for the times when it changes to watching all those friends and family around us pass away. Everything we do seems like a waste at times, but it’s not. Even when you lose someone very close to you there are always the memories that you have to continue on living with. That’s why it is so important to not hold grudges or get super bitter at people over minor things that happen in life, because you never know when the last time you are going to see them is until after it happens. Even through tough times with your friends and family it is so important to think positively and try to resolve your issues. I have so many friends and have lost, quite a few in strange situations that no one could have predicted, and I always think back to that final time we had together in hope that it was a good one, and it usually is, luckily. I never was the type of person growing up that said the words I Love You all the time and hugged people but I catch myself doing it a lot lately, and it feels good. I think some of that comes from worrying that the people around me might not know how much they really mean to me. Through skateboarding alone I have met thousands of people and a lot of them I consider my good friends. I try my best to care for everyone and treat everyone the same but there are definitely those who I cherish a little bit extra, who I have spent way more time with and just have so many amazing memories of. Today, as I write this I think of Josh Evin and how his 3^rd annual Memorial Jam was today, and then I think of all the sweet memories I have of Josh from Leeside, Hastings and Confederation Park and the old PM BBQ’s back in the day at 53^rd and Victoria. And I think of all the kids that don’t know who he is, or how amazing a person he was, or how high he set the bar when he skated. Who remembers the barefoot backside disasters on that 14 foot vert wall in The Project? And that makes me think of Lee Matasi and his crazy switch hardflips and 270 flips on the pyramids at Confed, and then there was Carver Don where 300+ people saw him go down at Seylynn Bowl and never recover. A tragic moment. For some that memory will be etched in their minds but I have to look past that moment into the reasons why I loved him and why everyone loved him – he was one of the most caring and inspiring individuals around and expressed himself even in his 50’s though his positive music and wicked skate styles. These are just a few of the friends we all have lost in our society. And I’m sure every one of you has at least one family member who meant the world to you that is no longer around to share a hug.

I quote the Bob Marley song No Woman, No Cry –

Good friends we have, oh, good friends we’ve lost
Along the way.
In this great future, you can’t forget your past;
So dry your tears, I say. 

It’s not about the times you had today as it is about the times you might not have tomorrow. Take this time to think of all the people you have lost in your lives and what they brought into your life that made you love them. Pick the best memory you can think of and cherish it. Now go live your life and make sure that you create those feelings in others around you for them to remember you by…

To all my friends and family who are suffering

and to those we have lost

– LOVE

I dedicate this month’s Bob Marley quote to my wife Carrie Williams. We have been together since we were teenagers and she was still in high school, and after 17 1/2 years of living as one we are still very happy. Life can be stressful at times and there will always be bumps in the road, but you just gotta take it slow and enjoy what you have. Spending half your life with someone can make you feel very special, and it also creates many everlasting memories that were brought to life by the two of us. We met in Barrie Ontario, we drove across the country and moved to BC with no real plan other than the fact that Carrie was going to SFU, and we have become a big part of a huge family of skateboarders in this province. Together we have changed each others lives, and the lives of many people around us. We have been a positive influence on other young couples and will always be in love no matter what. And as we grow older and raise our family, the love will only get stronger.

I quote Bob Marley from a very rare song that most of you have probably never heard named Send Me That Love from an album called 127 King Street –

“As the sun shines above, there is someone for me to love…”

There is a match in this world for every person, and some of you may find that match and others may not, but I wish you the best of luck in your search as I was very lucky that mine found me.

Today is our 10 year Wedding Anniversary and we will celebrate in style.

Sometimes in life you have your ups, and a lot of times you have your downs. Depression can be a very painful thing, and it affects your entire body, mindframe and attitude. We all search the Earth for what makes us happy and strive through thick and thin to find it, claim it, and keep it forever. This could be a material object, for some it’s money or wealth, and for others it’s that one special person you choose to spend your life with.

This month’s quote is dedicated to my Mom as I know that this will be a very tough month for her. The love of her life, who meant everything to her, passed away last April and I personally have been dreading this month all year as well. It’s a very painful experience when someone close to you dies, but it’s even harder to handle when that person was the one you spent every free moment of your life with – It’s almost like you die with them. Or in some cases, you wish you did. The pain and suffering can be overwhelming and it makes every morning more difficult to get out of bed and try to enjoy life. But as hard as it may seem, the best thing to do is to search for something that can bring you happiness like you once knew it.

Everyone goes through depression. Everyone feels pain. And everyone deserves to be happy.

But how do you overcome the pain, how do you find happiness and where do you even start to search for it? For some reason I think of the movie Happy Gilmore where Adam Sandler gets so frustrated all the time and Chubbs keeps saying, “Picture yourself in your Happy Place…” We all have a Happy Place that is just for us, a place that could be real, or could be imaginary, but it’s a place that makes you smile, makes you laugh, and brings back the memories of all those happy times in your life. Emotions go up and down constantly and we all need a place to go that allows us to escape reality and just enjoy what we have. And as painful as some things can be, we have to remember the good times that brought us to that point before the pain. I loved my Dad so much and it makes me cry every time I look at his pictures, but I take those tears and wipe them away and think of how blessed I really was to have him there for as long as I did. That makes me happy. And instead of dwelling on the fact that he’s gone, I reminisce about the happiness he brought me, the things he taught me, and the good times we had together. The month of April will always be a month of mourning in our family, and we will all be hurting inside, but we’ve got to go looking for our happiness and stay positive.

This month I quote a rare song by Bob Marley from his early ska days called I’m Hurting Inside –

“When I was just a little child, Happiness was there a while, and from me it slipped one day, Happiness come back I say; And if you don’t come, I’m gonna go looking, for Happiness, If you don’t come I’ve got to go looking, for Happiness”

I’ve said it many times, Bob Marley was a genius. A lot of people just think he was some crazy Rastaman that just cared about getting high and singing songs, but he was so much more than that. He was a Malcolm X, he was a JFK, he was a Martin Luther King and he believed in Freedom for everyone. He was a humungous leader who preached his beliefs through songs and had more motive than most people to stand up for his beliefs and take action against the social demons who ruled the world and he fought a lot of battles for everyone that most people would have been afraid to even speak about in those times. They tried to assassinate him but he survived, and then he sang about it. And if there was one thing Bob was good at it was finding happiness and sharing it with the world.

So whenever I hear this song I think about how everyone goes through those bad times where they just feel like shit and don’t want anything to do with anyone. But the song is not about what made him unhappy, it’s about how to get rid of that feeling and become happy again. The rhythm is upbeat and makes you want to stand up and start moving around.

Listen to the song and understand it, and think of all the things in your life that always made you smile and then go find those things again….

Love to my Dad

Ray Faux

September 18, 1947 – April 29, 2012

In life, it is easy to be ignorant and just believe in everything you are told or taught. The media is the number one criminal for pulling you along in a story and having you itching to find out what’s gonna happen next, and the school system is just as bad sometimes for only teaching one-sided opinions. Just because there is a text book about it doesn’t mean it’s the only information out there.

We’ve been through this before recognizing the fact that all people are different, they have different interests, follow different religions, and believe in different ways of living. If we are not all the same, then why are we all forced to listen to the same content as if it is the only information that exists. We must stand up for our beliefs and express our feelings in a positive way by exploring the truth behind the lies we have been forced to listen to over the years and figure out how to change the world from having to experience the same ignorance.

I quote Bob Marley in a very powerful song, Ambush in the Night, from the most powerful album he produced, Survival –

“They say what we know is just what they teach us

And we’re so ignorant ’cause every time they can’t reach us

Through political strategy they keep us hungry”

This song was written just days after an attempt to assassinate Bob Marley in 1976. It talks about the political and economic turmoil that was constantly happening in Jamaica during this time frame and reminds us all not to trust anyone. As Bob Marley was pushing more and more towards freedom for all and creating the bonds of unity in Jamaica, some people were against his beliefs. And they did with Malcolm X, John Lennon and JFK, when they don’t like your beliefs and the force that you are creating, they try to put an unjust stop to it.

Do not trust the government, do not believe everything you are taught. Realize that we are all just fish in a barrel, expected to live a certain way, and those who explore other possibilities can easily be removed from the barrel and flushed down the toilet.

Bob Marley was extremely lucky that he was not killed during this attempt and it gave him more strength and more power as he continued to make music that changed the world.

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Born February 6^th, 1945, Robert Nesta Marley was a legend from day one. The mind frame of this man was above and beyond every other human being around him. He may have looked up to many preachers and followed religious beliefs but he gained the respect of everyone who met him, or even heard of him, and Bob Marley lived a life with one purpose – to bring the world together and find freedom for all.

Bob Marley grew up in Jamaica through some of the most political warfare that any of us could imagine. And through it all he wrote and sang some of the most powerful lyrics ever recorded. To this day, even after Marley’s death in 1981, the record companies are still making millions off of his music, his passion and his life. Some songs were about freedom, some songs were about unity, and some songs were about love, but all songs were about Bob, about his life, about his strife, and about what he believed was right.

On this Legends birthday, I want you all to recognize the lyrics to the song War off the album Rastaman Vibration:

“Until the philosophy which hold one race superior
And another
Inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned –
Everywhere is war –
Me say war.

That until there no longer
First class and second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes –
Me say war.

That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all,
Without regard to race –
‘Tis a war.

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace,
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued,
But never attained –
Now everywhere is war – war.

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola,
In Mozambique,
South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled,
Utterly destroyed –
Well, everywhere is war –
Me say war.

War in the east,
War in the west,
War up north,
War down south –
War – war –
Rumours of war.
And until that day,
The African continent
Will not know peace,
We Africans will fight – we find it necessary –
And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory

Of good over evil –
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil –
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil –
Good over evil…”

This was most likely the most powerful song ever sung by Bob Marley and the Wailers, not just for it’s lyrics, but actually from where the lyrics came from. Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I (Imperial Majesty and Leader of Rastafarians) read this speech in his Ahmaric language in the UN in 1963 which was written by Lorenzo Tazaz. Bob Marley and the Wailers turned it into a song by using the part of Selassie’s speech that calls for equality among all without regard to race, class, or nationality in his hymnal cry for peace. It also asserts, quoting Selassie directly, that until the day of an equal society, there will be war. In the original speech, Selassie urged U.N. officials and country representatives to disarm nuclear weapons, and to end international exploitation (specifically with Africa). The song honors Haile Selassie I while calling for action against racial inequality and international injustice. The part of the speech used by Bob Marley was preceded by the following words:

“Last May, in Addis Ababa, I convened a meeting of Heads of African States and Governments. In three days, the thirty-two nations represented at that Conference demonstrated to the world that when the will and the determination exist, nations and peoples of diverse backgrounds can and will work together. In unity, to the achievement of common goals and the assurance of that equality and brotherhood which we desire.”

Some seriously powerful lyrics recognized and relayed to the world by the Legend – Bob Marley.

Understand it, and respect it

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