Category : Life and Death – And all the Emotions that come in between

Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between

Old Man – How I loved You

Today, September 18, 2012, would have been my Dad’s 65th birthday but we lost him suddenly back in April. Still none of us can get over the fact that he’s gone and of course that we didn’t get to say goodbye. He was the strongest person I knew and at the age of 34 was told that he had 4 years left to live. Proving everyone wrong he battled through for another 30 which made a huge difference in all of our lives, especially his children. We saw someone who lived every day in pain not let it bother him. He accepted his disabilities and diseases for what they were and continued to live his life in happiness, never complaining to anyone unless they forced it out of him. He taught me that nothing is able to stop you if you don’t let it, you just gotta fight on. And now I am the age that his life was changed forever and I think of my family and how much they would be affected if wasn’t around for them.

Thanks for never giving up Dad and giving me the childhood I deserved.

Here’s a couple songs that always makes me think of him and how much of an influence he was on me becoming the person I am today.

I love you, man. And I’ll be just an amazing father to my children as you were.

Old Man – By: Neil Young

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Father and Son – Cat Stevens

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Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between

Mixed Feelings

I send out my feelings on this Father’s Day to my Dad who just passed away 7 weeks ago. Remember that today is the day to love your Dad and let him know what he means to you. Don’t take your time with each other for granted, you never know when the last laughs you enjoy together will be…

Who You Were To Me

I never met the man that made me,

But I loved the man that made me who I am,

Because you were meant to be my Father,

You were the best for me.

I cherish the time we had together,

And I will always remember how much you cared,

And I will be to my son what you always were to me,

And give him everything he needs.

A smile, and a joke,

A tear when need be,

A spirit filled with happiness,

A soul set free.

I never met the man that made me,

But I never needed to,

For I had you to take me home,

Someone who loved me for me.

You made me who I am today,

Respected and loved by all,

You taught me how to strive for freedom,

Passionate in all my beliefs.

I’ll miss your smiles, and your jokes,

I shed tears when I think of you,

You filled my spirit with happiness,

And your love lives forever in me.

And I will be the figure that you created,

When my son looks up to me,

So caring and supportive in all he does,

For all the world to see.

And he will live on with feelings of love,

Of who I am to him,

And I will live on with sweet memories,

Of who you were to me.

Happy Father’s Day

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Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between

To be Loved is to Live Forever

Raymond James Faux

September 18, 1947 – April 29, 2012

“To be loved is to live forever in someone’s heart…”

     This quote is written on a frame at the top of our stairs. I don’t know who wrote it, and can’t remember where I bought it, but it is one of the most true statements there is, and I always stop and think about other people whenever my eye catches it.

       We are all loved by someone. But none of us were meant to live forever. But those who love us will cherish our time together in their memories. Those who were loved will always be remembered.

       My Dad was definitely loved by so many people. He was so caring and protective of any of his family and friends, never wanting to see anyone get hurt in any way. I quote my Mom with this statement –

“I can’t think of one person who did not like him…”

It’s amazing because it’s true. How many people in today’s world could you say that statement about?

       He was a kind and gentle man, who would always try his best to be happy, and hardly ever complain, even though he probably had more stuff to complain about in one day than most people would be able to deal with in a month.

       My Dad was a survivor. He was a warrior. He was a soldier.

       There were many battles in his life that never ended, but he would never give up. I learned about life from my Dad, and how it’s not usually fair. I learned not to expect everything to go my way, but also not to ever just take what I was given. I learned how to go out and get what I wanted, and not to take no for an answer. And I learned how to treat people with respect when they deserve it, and how to share my love with all of those who surround me in my life, and to accept their love in return.

To be loved is to live forever in someone’s heart,

And my Dad lives on in all of ours.

– Love Mike

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Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between

Life and death… And all the emotions that come in between

 In this section, you will dive directly into the soul of Hippie Mike and feel his raw emotions transformed into writing. The things you read could be happy, could be sad, or could be somewhere stuck in the middle. It could be about anything. You won’t know what you’re about to experience until you’re too deep to turn around. One thing is for certain, every word written will be straight from his heart…

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Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Kaelen Faux Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between Motivational and Inspirational Blogs

The Week I Found Myself

This last week has been an amazing time, one of my favourite times of my life. As a young child I had lots of fun experiences, and always did tons of different things each day – skateboarding, snowboarding, biking, swimming, basketball, baseball, bowling, hide and seek, board games, whatever. There was never any shortage of fun times in my childhood.

And as a teenager I always had loads of fun.

I’d be out from the time I woke up until the time I’d go to bed, chasing girls, skateboarding, snowboarding, playing pool, partying all the time. I can’t think of too many sad days I had as a teenager.

Then came my 20’s when I moved across the country to B.C. Nothing but fun times all the time. Whenever I wasn’t at work, we’d be hanging out with so many awesome friends having tons of fun. I met so many people in this province and learned so much about myself through that decade. These were definitely “The good ol’ days”.

Then came 30, and some things did change. My body hurt a lot more. I stopped getting drunk, and really slowed down the party mentality which had ruled my lifestyle for so many years. I spent more time just hanging with my wife, Carrie, and being happy just relaxing. I work a lot more now but all for good reasons.

But throughout all of these good memories, there was always a piece of my life that wasn’t present, until 2 years ago.

When Kaelen was born, he made me so happy. I finally had a child of my own that I could look forward to teaching everything about life, and have fun with. But it takes time for a baby to be old enough to hang out.

This week was one of the best experiences of my life, and I have had some pretty amazing experiences. Kaelen is now 2 years old, and he’s at the stage of his life that I have been waiting for since he was born. He can run and jump, and loves to play. He can sing and dance, and loves to laugh. But mostly, he just loves being with his Mommy and Daddy, and that is so special to me. It was Christmas Holidays and Carrie and I both took the entire week off of working, which is very difficult for me to do. I always have so much work to do with my Cabinet Business that I don’t usually get more than 2 or 3 days off in a row. But this year it had to be done. Christmas only comes once a year, and Kaelen would only be 2 years old for Christmas once in his life. And to me Christmas isn’t about presents and Santa, although we do make that stuff happen. Christmas is about being with friends and family and sharing your love. It’s a time of year when you just put everything aside for those who are closest to you and spend the whole week together. We went to the Vancouver Aquarium, we went shopping, we had friends over for dinners and movies, we went to other friends’ houses to hang out, we went skateboarding as a family, and we sat around together and did nothing at times. It was great.

I learned that our 2 year old son is man enough to play alone in the house while his Mommy and Daddy get some extra hours of sleep in the morning. And he is smart enough not to misbehave at this time and to come wake us up if he needs anything. I learned that Kaelen learns everything you teach him so quick and explores beyond what he has been told. I learned that our child is the best thing that ever happened to us, to bring us together even closer as we watch him grow.

But most of all, I learned why I was put on this Earth – to be the best, friendliest, happiest, and coolest Father in the world.

After everything I have done in my life, this was the week I found myself, and I know now why I have to slow my life down to be there for my son, my only true blood relative.

This was the week I found myself, my passion, my meaning of life.

I can’t wait to experience the next 10 years with him, the most fun time in his life. And my whole goal in my life, is to make his the most fun he could ever have…

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Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between Skateboarding SkatePark Styles

Mad Carver Lives On

          I was skating Kensington Park the other day and was busting out some flip tricks on the old Record Flat bank and it brought back the memories of all the awesome times I had with the Mad Carver back in the day. The record was built as a tribute to Carver to remind us all of how much he loved his music, especially that sweet Reggae Vibe.

         Don Hartley was a DJ, a caring individual, and a hero to many people – and most of all a true skateboarder for life. “Live by the Board, Die by the Board…” any hardcore skater says it, but do they mean it. This man was in his 50’s, skateboarding every day if possible. He would just carve man. In all the years I knew Don I don’t think I ever saw him leave the ground, except for that front flip off his board out of the deep end at Seylynn Bowl. The coolest thing about Don was that he was such a nice guy, always encouraging to everyone around him and always giving out free advice. And he always pushed the younger generation to wear their helmets.

Don Hartley was a man I loved and a man I will always love…

Mad Carver Lives On

          It was July 1st, 2009 – an incredibly beautiful day outside. It was a day I had waited for all year, just like every year – Seylynn Bowl Series Contest. The year prior there had been a potential jumper on the Second Narrows Bridge and it was closed most of the day so this year everyone came early so they didn’t miss the contest again. Must have been about 300 people around just having a great old time. It was Advanced heats and they set it up for a full Seylynn Locs Heat: Don, Hippo, Dave Boyce, Dave 57, and everyone was rippin’. All day there had been sooooooooooo many close calls like usual and the crowd really feeds off of them. Seylynn is one of the coolest parks in the world, built in 1978 in the shape of a snake and there really is no limit as to how fast you can go there. Unfortunately though it does have its blind spots, and sometimes you’re going so fast that you don’t see someone else in certain spots in the bowl. BOOM!! Tragedy struck… 57 went flying into the deep end for the speed line not knowing that Don was inside carving and slashing up a storm. It was a face to face collision at high speed and Don never knew what hit him. I was lucky enough not to see it, but I was standing about 20 feet away, and that sound will be etched into my brain forever. The crowd went silent, the music stopped, I jumped into the bowl – worried. A couple others jumped in as well, one of them was an E.M.T. ambulance attendant so I felt safe enough that they could handle the first aid and got out of the bowl. The ambulance was on its way, but how long would they take. The Mad Carver was down, and still unconscious…

         It must have been the longest 10 minutes of everyone’s life waiting for help to arrive. I kept chanting “C’Mon Don! Let’s Go Don!” and telling everyone it was gonna be alright. I believed that. I honestly thought Don was going to be okay. The ambulance took him away and the contest ended right there. The mood was definitely destroyed. What went from being one of the best Seylynn Comps of all time turned into what will hopefully remain the worst.

         Don went to hospital and was put on life support. 3 days later I received a text that he was gone. No more Mad Carver…

         I was standing by my truck at Kwantlen Park setting up for the kickoff contest of Hippie Mikes Tour de Surrey for that year and just broke down into tears. There was at least 50 people around, but suddenly I was standing alone – a moment I’ll never forget. I just wanted to go home, but I couldn’t. I’m Hippie Mike – and it’s my Tour de Surrey. I said my last words to Don out loud not caring who heard me, wiped away the tears and walked back over to my chair. I knew that Don was a legend. I knew that his death broke the hearts of thousands of people. But mostly I knew that he was always so stoked on skateboarding and watching people learn, and that was what these competitions are all about. I asked DJ Cuzo to play me some sweet Reggae music and the show began. It was a tough day, but it was all for Don. I got through the contest, packed up and went home, and found the first cd that Don had ever made me – 72 minutes of sweet Reggae Vibes. I love you buddy.

         For a while, those moments kept reoccurring in my brain. That horrid sound of the initial collision. The immediate silence of 300 people. The tears that ran down my face when I got that text message. And every year when I get ready to go to Seylynn on Canada Day for the Bowl Series I still watch The Seylynn Story DVD, and no matter what I’m in the middle of when Don Hartley’s part starts, I stop and sit and watch the whole damn thing. Nothing gets me more stoked when I’m about to go to Seylynn Park. I wish I could skate that place like Don did. Any local at that park has their own style and their own lines. You watch the footage of Don there and you will understand where the name “The Mad Carver” came from. He ripped that place – since day One.

          Bowl Series will never be the same. The music’s not the same. The vibes aren’t the same. Life isn’t the same. But we are a family and we will overcome. We will never forget Don Hartley and what he did for the sport of Skateboarding. We will never forget the kind words he spread amongst the groups of people that surrounded him. We will never forget the way he loved to groove. But mostly, we will never forget that day.

For those of you who knew him, then you know what this means:

Mad carver Lives On…

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Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between

Let Sleeping Babies Lie

Have you ever seen a sleeping baby, it has to be one of the coolest things you can watch. So precious and beautiful. It’s a sight that every person should experience at some point in their life just to feel what reality is.

No one is more trusting than a sleeping baby, full of happy thoughts and sweet dreams. I love to just stand there for long periods of time and watch. You get to experience so much of what is happening in their minds while they are just lying there with their eyes closed.

You can tell if they are dreaming.

You can tell if they are scared.

You can tell if they are too hot or too cold.

Bob Marley says in a song, Comin’ in From the Cold:

The biggest man you ever did see was once just a baby in his life”.

Man, Ain’t that the most true statement you ever heard.

No matter how big you are now, no matter what you went through and accomplished in your life, no matter if you were President, Prime Minister, King or Queen, at some point you were a tiny, helpless baby, dependent on all those around you to be loving and caring and to keep you nourished.

I love to watch my son sleep at night.

I imagine what he is dreaming about.

And I think of what he will become some day.

And I wish that I could be that trusting.

A trusting baby can sleep through any noise.

A happy baby will learn freedom in their sleep.

And every baby deserves to be loved.

Let them lie

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Hippie Mike Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between Protest Skateboards The Man I Am

The Man I Loved The Most

Raymond James Faux

Sept 18th, 1947 – April 29th, 2012

To The man who adopted me, loved me and taught me how to be a man myself – a humungous part of me dies with you, but the rest of me lives on for both of us…

The Man I Loved The Most

By Mike Faux

The day I’ve feared forever
finally arrived,
The day The Man I loved the Most
Had to die,
I knew it would happen
My entire life,
I expected it at any time
My entire life,
He struggled through so much
Sickness and disease,
But he always wore a smile
And he always seemed pleased,
He taught me not to give up
On whatever I believe,
I’ll wear a heart forever
To represent him on my sleeve,
His suffering is over
Now our pain begins,
We will miss him forever
In our hearts within,
To The Man I loved the Most
My regrets I send –
My Dad, my Father,
My Friend till the End…

We love you!

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