Reliving Childhood

My brother made me ride a bike today. This is more significant than you might think. I wrecked my bike when I was about eight years old. I went down a steep hill, fast enough that I was out of control, and at the bottom of the hill, there was a wooden bridge. Let's just say that my little eight-year-old self turned that bridge into a ramp. I know I was airborne. And I know I hit gravel. I haven't been on a bike since.
I know this sounds pretty ridiculous, but hear me out. When I was still a kid, I was scared to get back on a bike. By the time a fear of a crash was irrelevant, I had my own car.
We have never lived in a good place for my kids to ride bikes, so they never really have. Thinking foolishly that this is an essential childhood skill, we bought bikes for the kids this year for Christmas. They have done really well with the whole two-wheel deal.
My brother and his wife ride bikes a lot. They came over and asked if the kids could go on a ride with them. Of course, we said yes! Then my brother casually said that they had four adult bikes and that Chris and I should ride along. "Woah, woah, woah," I said. "I haven't been on a bike since that time I crashed when I was eight!" And that was pretty much all he had to hear. No matter how much I didn't want to, I was going to be taking a bike ride.
I have to say that I did alright. You really don't forget how to ride a bike. I should mention that I was never very good at it as a kid, so I am still not very good at it. But I enjoyed it and maybe I'll even get my own bike soon. My daughter, however, rides like I used to as a kid. She has training wheels, so she can go as slowly as she wants. We really were a sight! Four adults and two kids riding at the speed of a stroll. The more adept cyclers in our group handled the slow pace pretty well. I, on the other hand, did not. It's much harder to ride a bike slowly, and I felt compelled to ride behind my little one so that I could shout direction at her if she was veering into traffic or something. I nearly ran into her so many times, and I had to come to a complete stop so many times that I lost count! I think that the ride itself may not have been too taxing, but all that starting up and getting off the bike - ouch! I guess the proper fit for an adult bike means that only your toes touch the ground. So, the places of me that hurt from such activities....(groan).....it just isn't nice.
About halfway through the ride, I realized that I was suffering from the Parental Curse - you know, the one that says your children will grow up to be just like you? I cruised along, yelling at my daughter to "just pedal a little faster!!" and "hurry up! you're in the middle of the street!!" And I suddenly remembered my mother yelling the exact same things at me. Oh dear. I AM turning into my mother (not that that's a BAD thing, ma...). She used to tell me that I was able to stay upright on two wheels at the slowest speed she had ever seen.
I just want to take this opportunity to offer my apologies to my parents. No wonder you didn't keep bicycling as a hobby.

DAILY BLISS: Pretty much the whole riding-a-bike-again thing. Who knew? You really don't ever forget!

<3 Christy