Saturday, May 22, 2010

Why do they say everything is like riding a bike??

I first tried to ride a bike right after my 10th birthday. My parents bought me the cutest pink Debutante bicycle with white stripes and streamers on the handlebars. My brother and sis-in-law supplied the horn and the white woven basket w/the bright pink, yellow and orange daisies on it. Then the reality hit...I had to learn to ride it.

I exhausted both my Mom and my Dad. I would get on and get one pedal stroke in and fall over. Boy, oh boy, did I have a little temper. I would get up and stomp off! I am NEVER going to learn to ride this bike... I can't count how many times I fell off that bike. I had stone bruises and the gravel tore little holes in my legs when I fell. I had to go to see Dr Kalaycioglu when the cuts got infected. He treated me and I went back to learning to ride that bike. I got up time and again. Finally, I fell one last time and I jumped up, picked up the bike, slammed it on the ground and declared that "This stupid thing doesn't want me to ride it!" I don't know how my Daddy kept from laughing seeing that little display, but he was a Taurus too, so he understood the temper and the stubborness.

Finally, one day my brother decided he would take a turn and try to teach me to ride that bike. He came out and walked up and down the driveway with his hand on the seat for what seemed like a hundred times. Finally, he got me started and let go, but he ran beside the bike like he was still holding on until I got almost to the end of the driveway. I was laughing and looked back and there he stood about 10 feet back...then it hit me - the mailbox...No seriously, I realized that I was pedaling away on my own. It took a little more confidence building, but I mastered riding that bike! Now Chris and I enjoy taking long rides on Saturdays and Sundays on the rail trail! Pretty good for starting out on a bike that didn't want me to ride it!! Don't you think!?!

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