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My Memory Monday

This week, “My Memory Monday,” is all about your very first bike.
My first bike was candy apple red with a white banana seat.

Do you remember those banana seats?

I seem to recall that the bike had been carefully refurnished and at one point in time had belonged to my mom.

I really have no idea how old I was when I learned how to ride a bike. I know that I was living in the house my parents had built and I know that I was wearing shorts and a tank top.

In Utah that can only mean it was summer. No shorts, tank tops and flip-flops in the winter.

I have a memory of my dad running behind me holding on to the seat. I can recall the feeling of fear and giddiness as we rode down the street.

Being as I am a mom who has lived through four kids learning to ride their bikes I am pretty sure that I must have crashed and burned a time or two and I am sure that I had some fear. I was not what you would consider a brave child.

While the memory of that first bike and learning to ride is not precise, I do remember what it meant to have a bike.

Having a bike meant racing around the neighborhood a large pack of kids on wheels. Having a bike meant racing down the street, standing up on the pedals, and of course riding with no hands.

The trick of learning how to balance with your hands held up high, the tentative hands on, quick hands off, hands on, hands off, each time pulling your hands farther and farther from the handle bar.

My favorite trick was roller-skating while biking. In the neighborhood I grew up in a few houses had steep driveways. We would put on our roller skates sit on our bikes and cruise down the driveway.
As I am typing, I can feel the excitement of rushing down the driveway with absolutely no way to stop. We had not yet graduated to bikes with hand breaks. In fact, there was only two ways to stop, cruise until you ran out of speed or crash. It is probably a miracle that none of us was killed.

What was your first bike and what do you remember most about riding a bike?

Tomorrow the beautiful and wonderfully witty Willow will be posting her memories of her first bike.

Next week, elementary school. What memories stand out most in elementary school. I think this will be a two week post one for k-3 and one 4-6th. Pick a memory any memory from K-3 and share with us.

If you would like a link back to your post please leave a comment and I will create a link.

Prayers and Hugs

Comments

Me, Myself and I said…
Having a bike meant dragging your feet on the ground so your shoes got holes in them and your Mom had to buy you new ones.

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