LOOK MA! NO TRAINING WHEELS!

☀ When I was a boy, I LOVED my bike. A bike is fun, transportation, and freedom in one swoop. I was probably in the 3rd grade or so when my friend (thank you Nathan Okuma!) taught me how to ride without training wheels.  I wanted to teach our son earlier than I’d learned so he wouldn’t have to worry about riding his bike with his friends around the neighborhood.  Riding without training wheels is arguably the equivalent of getting a drivers license in High School for a kid.  Despite the fact that he was only 4 years old, I felt that he was ready for this endeavor, and I really wanted to be a part of this quintessential milestone for my son.

The task definitely wasn’t easy, and I think I ran more in those few weeks, than I’ve run in awhile. I gotta admit though, it made me chuckle when we took him to the park and I saw a much older boy learning to ride with his obviously frustrated dad…lol poor kid.  I could relate to the father, having also been bumped, rolled over, and scratched by my son’s sharp grinding teeth pedals that I had to replace multiple times (thanks Mac for chewing up anything plastic in our yard).  Oh, and speaking of being run over… There was this girl at the park that Kai totally freaked out over about passing and just froze.  She sat on the edge of the sidewalk and I said, “uh oh” to myself as I passed on my bike first.  I looked back and yelled,

“Kai, pay attention and stay on the side!”  

In hindsight, that may have been what set him off in his panic.  It felt like slow motion while I watched in horror as Kai plowed directly into this her without turning or slowing down…lol.  Luckily there was a razor scooter on the ground in front of her, which acted as sort of a barrier to lessen the impact, but she definitely got hit.  My wife and I apologized immediately, but the little girl and her mother were all smiles.  Everyone was fine, thank god.

Learning to ride a bike without training wheels was quite an achievement for both my son and myself.  It took going out twice a week for 3 weeks for him to really “get it”.  The thing that held him back the most was himself.  He lacked the confidence and fearlessness that the training wheels had given him.  Despite his tough mohawk helmet, and brash personality, deep down he really is a sensitive boy. He learned to ride his bike by overcoming his fear of falling through hard work, perseverance, and experience.  We are so proud of you Kai!—next up, Kiari!!! >.<;