Back when I was five, I remember getting of the bus one day to a bike with 2 wheels, no training wheels & a kick stand. I was nervous. It was the first time I would ever ride a bike with no training wheels. I went inside to put my book bag in my room. I went back out side to see my mom & dad talking. When they noticed I was out side they stop chatting & stood side by side. My mom said good luck & went inside to care for my brother. It was time I rode my new bike.
I got on my bike with my dad standing behind me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my mom looking at me thru the living room window. My dad gave me a nudge. I started to pedal. Knowing my dad was behind me to help me if I fall, I started to pedal faster. The bike was starting to wobble. I thought to my self, “My dad never told me how to stop.”
Considering that my dad didn’t tell me how to stop, I didn’t know what to do. I knew there was grass on either side of me. I could fall into the grass but falling just wasn’t my thing. I continued to think of possibilities. I also thought of what I have already experienced in my five years of being on planet earth. Rather the last few minutes. Considering the fact that moving the pedals forward, moved me forward. Pedaling back words will either move me backwards or stop me.
I thought about this idea for a very short second & decided to try it. Gladly to my advantage it worked. The bike moved slower & slower until it finally stopped. In this situation there was an up & a down. Stopping was an up. The down was the fact that I didn’t know that something with 2 wheels can’t balance on its own. Rather, I fell. I didn’t put my feet down to stabilize the bike while it was gradually slowing down. God must have wanted to save band aids. I fell, IN THE GRASS. Man I was lucky. I didn’t get one cut, bruise, or scrape. My dad came to see if I was alright. I got up happily. I said I wanted to try again. I did it again & again.
I felt good. I had finally mastered the bike, to a degree. I learned other things after that but this was the most important.