Riding A Bike

There is a saying that goes, “it’s like riding a bike, once you learn how to you never forget”. I am going to put my own spin on this. I am going to say “it’s as easy as riding a bike” however today’s blog is going to explain one reason WHY riding a bike is not always so easy. When one first learns how to ride a bike, you just don’t jump on it and off you go. There are training wheels to help hold you steady until you get the balance and the wheels are removed. Then there is the parent hanging onto the back and running down the street holding the bike steady until they can’t run anymore and they let you go. You go a few feet, wobble and then fall. Eventually, you get to the point where you become a master at balancing on the two wheels and away you go. Seems pretty simple, but what happens when the bike or the road present obstacles? I am here to tell you about one of my stories when riding a bike didn’t seem so easy. One day my sisters and some neighbor kids decided to go to the local swimming pool. Back when I was young, we had to ride our bikes everywhere we wanted to go. So we all went and had a great time. On the way home we had to go down the rather steep Butler Hill. This hill was on a main road with cars going both directions. Now if your parents taught you the correct rules of the road, you ride your bike with the flow of traffic. We were law abiding kids so we were doing just that. The neighbor boy was in the very front with my sister right behind him. I was behind that but there was a gap between them and myself. Then there were three others behind me. Now here I am, scared to death to go down this hill but I am SURE that had no bearing on my mind while trying to negotiate the pebble pile that presented itself in front of my tire. My front wheel started to wobble and down I went. I did not just fall, I did a face plant on the asphalt and my body kept going. Yes, my face on the asphalt skidding down this hill. The three bikes behind me along with their riders fell on top of my bike. My sister’s towel rolled out into the street with her chasing behind it. From what I could hear, she almost got hit. As for me, I got up and decided to RUN down the hill. I ran straight past my sister and to the neighbor boy, Mike. Mike just peddled as fast as he could to a gas station where the attendant tried to clean me up with a drinking fountain and his dirty shop towel. I was told that it appeared that my head had split in half right down the center from there being so much blood. Luckily by the time I got home and got all cleaned up, all that had happened is I split my gum open and had some cuts and scrapes on my face. I know they don’t read this but I want to tell Mike and my sisters thank you for helping me that day. Riding a bike is not always THAT easy and I still have the scars to prove it.