Phillip K

I can totally ride a bike

When I was little I was always afraid to try new things like jumping off the high dive, football, getting hit with the baseball when I went up to bat, and riding a bike(without training wheels).  These things seem to me like an Everest times a quadrillion.  The fear they put into my tiny 6 year old heart would always stop me right as I got up to facing them.  I knew I had to do them but on top of the high dive it seemed like I was staring into the heart of Tartarus.  Out of all my fears, the one I conquered first was riding my bike.

            I was at the beach and my family had a spot for our camper right next to this little road that was chained off at the end.   We had brought all the bikes even though I didn’t plan on using it and my mom brought it out telling me she was going to teach me how to ride.  As the brave, adventurous, Indiana Jonesesque kid I was, I stalled for about 2 days.  I was actually impressed that I held out that long. But, I was growing up and soon I would be too big for the child seat on the back of the bike to hold me.  It took roughly three grueling hours for me to eventually learn and it was about the fifth most unpleasant thing I’ve ever done.  The entire time my mom kept telling me once I learned I would be glued to that bike like a middle aged mom to a Wal-Mart on Black Friday.  After the bijillionth time falling down after she let go, I got on my bike for the last time and internally started singing eye of the tiger to myself(out of tune of course).  My mom grabbed the back of my bike and started to push me forward and after a quarter of the way she let go and I was flying down that road like a majestic eagle.  I kept going and was pedaling hard down the road and was coming up to the chained off area when I realized my grave mistake.  I didn’t know how to turn yet and in my terror I forgot to break and ran into the chain at Mach 6.  As I was lying on the ground I had an epiphany and realized that was insanely awesome.  Later that night my whole family went out for a bike ride and I was flying along with all the grace of an arthritic elephant. 

After that I realized I could face my fears.  I flipped off the high dive (landed on my back), I hit the ball to the outfield (got out), and I played football for a year before going on an extended “training session”.  But even with all the downs that came with them I still owned up to my fears and faced them head on and I would do them again with twice the dangers because  eventually I joined the swim team with my friend, I hit a home run in Wiffle ball, and I scored a touchdown in flag football.  Even with all the pain and setbacks that came with these experiences they led to something great and I wouldn’t give that up for the world.