By 1998 I'd been living in Athens long enough to be thoroughly educated and disgusted with most of college life. The self destructive behavior, passed off as "finding oneself," manifested in binge drinking, drug use, casual sex, and weekend parties, moved me towards isolation amongst my peers. Skateboarding and art served as my escape from my surroundings, without which I could have gotten involved in something cultish like church. Luckily I didn't, and put all my thoughts and energy of the moment on a skateboard for a few people to see. Everything I had to say was written directly on the board, which was a first for me. Previously, I'd felt that if someone didn't understand why I did something questionable, they could at least confront me about it, but in this case I didn't want there to be any confusion. People are sheep. I believe I had watched Taxi Driver an unhealthy amount of times before completing this drawing which is why it's so dark. It's been years since I've read this, but I still believe that most people will willingly screw themselves out of a future to avoid the present.
