Learning To Ride A Bike

remember the only time that I ever thought Pop was going to die. It was just about a half a lifetime ago for him and happened when I was about 6 years old. You see, he was teaching me how to ride a bicycle. I can’t even remember the bike but I do remember him holding the back of the seat as we wobbled down Rochdale Terrace. We breezed right past the Benas’s house and were picking up speed as we crossed over the Vitolo’s driveway. The Vitolos had a white picket fence (it was the early 70’s). Our speed, coupled with my lack of knowing how to handle a two-wheeled machine, led to us wobbling more (with increased speed). Well, as we wobbled along on the Vitolo’s sidewalk heading down the street, my bike and I pinned Pop against that white picket fence and he went down! That was the first and only time I ever remember seeing him bloodied. Turns out that he only had a few scrapes here and there on his face and arms yet it was still very frightening to me. It scared me…..

Now, although that was the only time I have ever seen him bloodied, I have seen him with a green face. Pop was (trying to) spray painting something – I seem to remember it being a Saturday night for some reason – BUT he had the nozzle turned the wrong way and got blasted by green spray paint right in the face. He was green with….well, green spray paint. Yet, as with most his entire life, he made light of the situation and allowed us to take a picture of his green face. His entire face, except for where he was able to close his eyes prior to getting blasted, was green.

Back to the white picket fence. So, I stop my bike as soon as he goes down. Or maybe it was that I wobbled on down (fell) off my bike with him. If I did go down, I am sure he softened the blow for me. I was so apologetic and worried about him. He was calm, went into our house, into our bathroom and cleaned himself up. I was still really worried as I viewed the washed up (not washed up) face and arms of my dad. I have never worried so much about him as I did that day.

I taught both of my kids how to ride a bike using the same technique as Pop did sans the white picket fence. I DID hold the back of the seat and run alongside of them. Yet, I chose to teach Sarah in an open field and Sam learned on the Tucker High track. I wonder if either of them will even remember learning to ride a bike.