Learning to have fun

I sat at my desk peering at code. The memory of a certain red and gold bicycle aka bike kept intruding. You see, after twenty years, I finally got a bike. The simple no frills bike. No gears. No bells and whistles literally.

After I strapped the kids in the car and waited for Saathi to grab his bag and get in, I fiddled with my bike testing it in our little driveway. Fear seized me. I swung my legs over the seat, gripped the handle bars and tried to push the pedal for momentum and nothing happened. The bike swayed one way and the other till I gave up and wheeled it back to the garage.

Having grown up with my ubiquitous black BSA SLR with neat hand brakes, I was not used to the pedals being stuck. Tried as I might to bring the pedal forward, it would not budge an inch. I waved bye and got back to work.

The bike called. I locked my work station and went out on an impulse. Wheeling out the bike I looked around to see if anyone was watching. Not a soul. I felt emboldened. I got on the bike and pushed hard. I felt exhilaration as the bike moved and with it me. The end of the driveway loomed and with it excitement. Making a wide arc into the road ahead, I kept up. The bike seemed to move a little too fast. I spied a car ahead and felt nervous. Moving to the side of the road, I wanted to slow. The brain feet connection seemed a little slow and before I knew it my feet bounced up and down the road the friction causing me to slow enough to get off the bike. The driver in the car gave me a quizzical look and smiled.

Mortified, I wheeled the bike back to the cool garage and got back home. My heart raced rather sporadically excitement and mortification alternating. I promised myself I would get a hang of this thing soon enough.

Learning to have fun is hard!

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