It's like riding a bike

At Eric's BBQ we learned that John didn't know how to ride a bike. He couldn't swim either. Or drive a car. There were four people at the party who never learned to ride a bike, but they could do one or both of the other activities. John grew up in New York, and hadn't been to Long Island until last year either. It was decided that he would learn to ride a bike that afternoon. He protested, then relented.

It was fascinating watching a grown man learn to ride. He kept leaning far to his left, forcing everyone to hold him steady. He was too big to hold upright with just the single hand on the seat of the bicycle, like our fathers did when we were little. He attempted to pedal before he even gained his balance. He kept his head down as we shouted, "Keep your head up! Keep your head up!"

We had to clear the sidewalk and warn pedestrians as they passed. One laughed once she realized what we were attempting to do. The sun set and it grew dark. A light on the handlebars lit the ground before the bicycle. By nightfall, John could almost balance. Almost.
Posted by eku at July 5, 2005 10:52 AM