"IF YOU LIVE
THIS LIFE TO
STEAL, THEN
YOU COME
BACK TO GET
STOLEN FROM"
36A
BACKSIDE 180° FLIP
16TH & SOUTH VAN NESS
SAN FRANCISCO
PHOTO: OGDEN
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go back to school, I'd want to get into something
gnarly, something pretty challenging. And, not that
you don't need school, but if I were to return to
school, it wouldn't be just to get a diploma to get a
job, it would be for the challenge of learning new
things, and just getting through school. It wouldn't be
to land some crazy job and make all this money,
'cause money is important, but if you live simply, you
don't need a lot of
money live.
money
What else do you
think about a lot?
Well, I always make
up things in my head.
that are not real, like
situations. Like, "OK, if
this person meets this
person, then this'll
happen." It kind of
gets to me, because I
end up spending so
much time thinking
about things that
aren't real, it's like lit-
tle dreams. A lot of it
has to do with self-
consciousness, in
meeting certain people
and being like, "Oh,
they're going to think
this or that."
Like how you
would react in a
certain situation?
Yeah, or how people
of
would respond to it.
But through yoga and a
lot of reading about it,
it really teaches you to
live in the now. When
you spend a lot of time.
thinking about things.
that aren't real, it's
called Maya
or disillu-
sionment, and yoga
just basically teaches
you to get in touch
with things that are
real. It definitely clears
your thinking. I spend a
lot of time contemplat-
ing my life, what's
important to me,
materialism and flesh-
lyness, things that peo-
ple have been con-
cerned with since the
beginning of time:
death, life, birth, where
you go, religion.
Who are some people
you admire or respect?
My friend Beaver. He's
just nomadic, has barely
any possessions, kind of
just roams around. He's
People who read this might think you had
some kind of hard life.
Nah, I seriously didn't have a hard life. Everything
I've had was just tons of blessings. I have awesome
parents and the greatest brothers. I pray that whatever
is dished out to me, I can handle. I definitely have not
had a hard life compared to some things I've seen.
Do you consider yourself to be somewhat neurotic?
that life, you're going to be reincarnated. So, yeah,
there is something afterwards, but there's different lev-
els. This life is one level, and then as soon as you com-
plete your training, so to speak, you move on to the
next, which could be anything.
Do you think music like hip-hop is ruining
people's minds?
I love hip-hop, and I love rhythm and harmony. The
BACKSIDE OLLIE, OAKLAND PHOTO: MORFORD
the most wholehearted person I've ever met. He's
taught me a lot about just living. That's just one exam-
ple, but there are tons of people I respect.
What skateboarders do you like to watch?
I like the way Mike York skates. Matt Hensley, he
used to be my favorite skater.
What do you want people to know about you?
Basically that I'm just going to try and go for-
ward, go after the truth. I want to find peace in
my life. I can't live crazily anymore. I want to
live as simply and as wholeheartedly as I can.
and just find peace and help others to find that
peace, too. Life is crazy, all kinds of pitfalls. It's a
winding road.
Neurotic is one side of my personality, and the
other side is completely level-headed, so it's perfectly
balanced. On certain days it goes in one direction,
but it all evens out.
Are you a hypochondriac?
Not anymore. I was afraid of death, 'cause I just
couldn't understand it. Like I said, I used to make up
these scenarios, like sit there and wonder, "Where the
hell do we go?" And I was so scared.
Do you believe in life after death?
I believe that it depends on what you use your life.
for. Like if you live this life to steal, then you come back
to get stolen from. Life is basically given to you as a
gift, and until you become attuned with what gave you
only thing that can ruin
someone's mind as far
as music is concerned
is believing in things.
that aren't real. The
music is real, personal-
ities exist, but videos
and record covers can
be misleading. Fronting
ruins people's minds.
Do you think it's the
artist's or the peo-
ple's fault?
It's a little bit of
both. Who's to say
that the artists aren't.
heading in the wrong
direction? If you search
out the truth. and I do
what's right, then you'll
be fine. And if you have
bad intentions, then
shit's gonna go down.
How did you get
into graffiti?
Just from seeing it
around where I lived.
The biggest influence
I ever had was this kid
Panda. He was the
first kid I knew who
was really into it..
Then from there, I just
started messing
around. It
just
intrigues me as a sub-
culture. People have
been writing on walls
since the beginning of
time, so it's cool just
to look at it and see
what goes on.
Do you ever feel
bad about it?
Never
Have you ever gotten
into trouble for it?
Yeah. Just little.
things, nothing major.
Who are some graf-
fiti writers you like?
Swatch from New
York, Kaws from New
Jersey, The whole A
Team Crew, Cycle and
Geso in San Francisco.
Do you see your-
self as a family
man someday?
Yeah, totally. I definitely want a family.
Where would you want to live?
Near the beach.
Out here?
Could be.
Mandatory props.
First and foremost to God who gives us life; sec-
ond, my family-mom, dad, brothers; peace to Brian
Kraft, Andrew and German, Brian Mako, Beaver,
Justin Girard and Mad Circle; and thank you to
everyone that's ever helped me in skateboarding,
I'll return the favor someday.
-Aaron Meza
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