There are some moments, those life milestones moments that stick with you throughout your life.  I don’t think I could ever forget that incredible day when I was 6, that day that everyone waits for with so much excitement and yes I’ll say it fear!!!  I’m sure you all have that idea in your head of what that might be, on the edge of your seat I have no doubt.  So that day for me, was the day my dad came home with my very first bicycle.  

Picture it, me playing in the driveway in front of our little duplex on that little crescent with a couple of my little friends, I’m pretty sure I was playing with Cowboy Kissing Barbie.  I mean what else would an on trend six year old be playing with, come on!!!  So there I was, Dad pulled into our parking spot and popped open the trunk.  I had no idea what wonders would soon be mine.  Dad called my name, by the way, he’s called me Rat since I was born and still does to this day, “Rat”, he said, “Come here for a minute.”  I jumped up and ran, cause I could back then, to see what he needed and lo and behold, a brand new bike appeared out of the trunk like a magical unicorn or a rainbow right out of the blue!!  We had looked at them a few times but to be honest back then, the budget was a little tighter than it is these days so I realize now that Mum and Dad must have saved for quite a while to get me that bike.    

The very next day, Dad set out to teach me to ride my bike.  I was so stinkin excited I could hardly contain myself that morning.  We went out to that crescent, that crescent where so many of my firsts happened and dad helped me climb onto it for the very first time.  Round and around we went as he held the back of my seat, making sure I didn’t fall over.  No training wheels for me, cause I was fearless and a rockstar, obviously.  My friends stood by as Dad spent hours helping me practice getting on and off, putting the chain back on in case it fell off and just learning to find my balance on two wheels.  

Off I went on my first turn alone around the crescent, feeling that rush of wind through my waist length hair.  Oh my, nothing could compare, of that I was so very sure.  I came around that last bend and I could see the pride on Dad’s face.  I did it, I made it all the way, just a few feet from a complete turn.  Bam!!!!! One of the neighbourhood boys jumped out in front of me in what I can only imagine was an attempt at being funny.  What happened next has haunted my dreams since that fateful day, well ok that was a tad dramatic but it did leave an impact, like an actual impact on the door of the parked car I hit.  Yup, you read that right, I forgot all my intense training and more importantly I forgot how to brake and slammed directly into our neighbours car.  The look on Dad’s face was one of complete and total disbelief, he checked on me of course and then got that look of uhm, how much is this going to cost me???  Thankfully I was tiny and not as powerful as I imagined myself to be, so no lasting damage.  It took me a few days to get back on that horse so to speak but I did indeed manage it and spent many a day enjoying going round and round on that bike once again.  Funny how those moments stick in your head even after all these years, the highs and the lows for sure but in this case it was the beginning of my adventurous heart.  Oh I also hit a parked car when learning to rollerblade in my late 20’s, seems to be a thing I do, perhaps I need to evaluate my methods a bit.  

#2022AdventureIsCalling