The process was long and arduous, but eventually I did discover the wholesome goodness and total rockiness of this kick-ass, totally real Canadian program. The humor was dead-on, the issues totally serious. I learned about prejudice against gays from the episode about Snake's brother. I learned the awful truths about the music industry in the episode when Joey Jeremiah tried to get his band on the air. And most of all... I learned what it meant to be a man when I first laid eyes on Spike.

Spike was everything I was not. She had spiky hair. She was a girl. She was a punk.

I fell in love and I fell hard. I looked at my own hair, which was decidedly ska-ish and dorky, and realized Spike would never accept it. So I got me a liberty mohawk. I listened to my voice on tape and caught lack of Canadian accent. That too changed. Soon I was everything Spike would want. And everything the ska scene didn't.

I came upon major crossroads in my life and I chose the path that I hoped would lead to Spike and away from ska. But Spike has always been just out of my reach. Still, though, I don't regret any second of it.

Okay, yes I do. Especially when I moved to Canada and re-entered junior high school at age 23. But I followed my dreams. And I will follow them until I get shot or arrested.