* Up We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder

If you read this blog regularly, you have already figured out that anything athletic (except my husband) isn't my thing. An incident came to mind this morning that I found rather comical now that there is 50 years distance from the day of the happening. The "incident" occurred the day I learned to ride a bicycle.

I don't ever remember having a small bike with training wheels...maybe a tricycle, but not a training bike. Among other things (lizards, off color lipstick, and bad fitting shoes) I am very afraid of heights. So the fact that this took place on an extremely elevated plain leaves me breathless to this day. Everyone I knew rode a bike, with the exception of me. Greer, my ever the dare devil friend, had a brand spanking new one. I think it had little streamers that came out of the handgrips. When she rode, the streamers whipped in the wind. Oh, how I longed to zoom by a group of friends, hair blowing in the wind (well, maybe not) but at least my streamers tossing about.

Every time I got on a bike to "practice", I'd wobble and eventually (after several seconds) would crash. It must have been my balance problem. I still have to watch that to this day. I wobble to and fro most of the work day. It's quite exhausting working plus staying upright for 8 hours.
So on this day, I figure that Mr. B (Greer's dad) took pity on her little bobbling friend (me) and decided this was it! He got me out in her yard and I practiced until even he, the ever present hand on the back of the bike, was worn out. After what seemed like hours, he made a decision that probably changed my life forever.

Greer lived on the tippy tippy top of a hill on Line Street. When going up into her driveway, it felt a lot like going up to the top of a roller coaster. I would clutch the car seat and hold my breath until we made it safely to the flat area of her drive. Anyway, Mr. B rolled the bike and me to the top of the driveway and said, "Ok, little Missy, this is it." What??? What was It??? What on earth was he thinking? I know what I was thinking....my short life flashed before my bugged out eyes. "I think," he continued," you are ready for the big time." (Could he be referring to my ascent to heaven?) I balked.

Patiently he persisted. "You can do this." He righted me on the seat (which, btw, was too tall for my short legs). With that he gave me a push and it was do or die! I put my feet on those pedals and pedaled for dear life. Down the hill I went, streamers flying and hair flat back against my head. When I hit the flat surface of the street, I kept going. I did it! I kept my balance and conquered the beastly hill. What a day! I can still see Mr. B standing at the top of the hill, grinning and clapping. You would have thought he had just launched Sputnik...and in a way he did! I owe him much, but most of all I owe him for teaching me to conquer a fear and soar into the unknown, knees knocking, but soaring none the less. Thanks, Mr. B. (This would have been Mr. B's 99th birthday today!!) Such a good friend!