When I was a little girl I loved our big two-story farmhouse that we lived in for awhile. It had the charm of a Victorian mansion. It was located on top of a great big hill with a very beautiful grassy yard.
This is where I would play with my brothers and sister when our chores were finished. We played cowboys and Indians; kick the can and various other games. This is where I learned to ride a 26-inch bike. It was a girl’s bike that we all shared. My brothers would ride it and I would run alongside it with them because I did'nt know how to ride a bike.
One day they decided that it was time for me to learn to ride this bike. My sister was at the upstairs window yelling down to me how to accomplish this task. Now she said, “ Take the bike to the top of the hill and get on then let the bike go down the hill with you.”
You have to know that I was smaller than this bicycle and I had never even tried to ride it before. I always ran beside the bike when ever we played.
But never the less I decided that I had watched everyone else ride this wonderful blue girl’s bike long enough. It was my turn to ride the bike and I was determed to ride it down that hill.
I took the bicycle to the top of the hill and I straddled it just like I had watched my brothers ride it. I gave it a little push and jumped up on the seat.
I was riding the bike. Yes, It was just like everyone else had been. But this time it was just me on that old bike all by myself. I felt like I was flying the wind was in my hair and face. It felt so good to finally learn to ride my bike. Yes, it was mine but I had been to little to even ride it when my dad brought it home.
I was enjoying the ride down the hill. That long ride that I had always dreamed of having was mine now. Then all of a sudden I had realized that I didn’t know how to stop a bike.
I yelled to my sister who was as happy as I was for she knew I really wanted to learn to ride.” Hey! How do you stop this thing?” I yelled. She told me to put on the brake.
I didn't know what a brake was. I didn’t know where the brake was. I didn’t know how to put on a brake. You must remember that I’m riding this bike down hill the whole time I’m trying to find out how to stop it. It was gaining speed with every second.
I look down at the bottom of this hill and I see what was to be my fate a fence at the end of the yard.
I saw that fence coming closer and closer all the while I’m trying to find out how to put on the brakes. Everyone kept yelling how to brake the bike but I didn’t understand. I tried everything that they said and it didn’t work.
The fence was right there now. Me, my bike and the fence were going to collide. Yep, You can guess what happens next.
The bike hit the fence, I flew over the handlebars hitting everything that was possible to hit and hurt on the way over the fence. I landed off the bike and on the other side of the fence inside the meadow.
Well you guessed it. I was hurting pretty badly by now and everyone else was laughing at me because I didn’t know how to put the brakes on to stop that magnificent machine.
To make a long story short I didn’t even try to ride that bike again for a few more months. I was trying to heal all my bruises that I had acquired and get my nerve up again to try and ride my bike. I was still very happy to run along side my bike while everyone else rode it.
Funny thing about the first time you learn to ride a bicycle. You never ever forget what it felt like to be on a bike for the first time all by yourself. The feeling is one that makes you smile everytime you think about it. No matter how old you are when you remember that wonderful day.
I surely do remember learning to ride a bike and the one bike I owned; it was a blue Schwinn, girl's; and I LOVED that thing! Had it for YEARS! Thanks for the memories! (((HUGS))) and love, your friend, Karen Lynn. :) Great write, Linda!
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