Friday, June 15, 2007

Random childhood memories: Vol. II

Since I've been riding a bike regularly for the first time in more than fifteen years and since Sunday is Father's Day, I thought this might be a good story for the second installment of my occasional series Random Childhood Memories.

I got a bike for Christmas when I was six or maybe seven. It was about the coldest day I ever remember from the nearly 10 years we lived in Florida. Probably mid 50s.

My dad took me out in our neighborhood so I could learn how to ride. He ran on my right-hand side with one hand on the handlebars and the other on the back of the bright-green seat.

The first time he took his hand off the handlebars, I checked to make sure his other hand was still on the seat, and as long as it was, my balance was fine.

A couple trips around the block later, his hand left the handlebars and I was steady, until I turned around and saw that he wasn't holding onto the seat either.

I started to wobble almost immediately, but he was able to steady me before I fell. I think it's strange that it was him actually supporting me that mattered, just that I thought he was.

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5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's very sweet. Much nicer than my most vivid biking memory - riding around the asphalt path at the beach, colliding with a twentysomething woman, being thrown to the grass and swearing at her - all on the first day of third grade. I wasn't nasty as a kid, no, not at all.

June 15, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This sounds like it should be the text of a Hallmark card. Can't you just imagine it...

"I remember when I first learned how to ride a bike...blah....blah...thanks for always having a hand to steady me...."

June 15, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When my dad taught me to ride, I started crying and he started screaming at me. I hate him so much.

June 15, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I will confirm that yes, that was the coldest day during our almost 10 years in Florida. Thanks for the memory.

June 15, 2007  
Blogger Cedar said...

I remember going to the Baskin Robbins down the street on my bike with Dad. And to this day, I still ride my bike and eat ice cream almost everyday.

June 15, 2007  

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