Traffic

I was driving to work this morning in traffic and noticed what looked to be a kid on summer vacation bike right passed me. Yes, That's how bad the traffic was. All of that german engineering, torque, horsepower...only to be rendered useless against a childs bike. Irony 1 - Trigger 0. Damn ... I remember the first time I learned how to ride a bike. Unlike many other children, I learned how to ride a bicycle by myself. Not only that, but I mounted my first set of training wheels on my bicycle by myself. Circumstances of life which I did not fully grasp at the time led me to that driveway for that whole summer. Most of the first half in which I was trying to mount the training wheels I found in my shed, beside a bike which was not intended for someone my size. But I didn't care though. I had the tools in sight, my new found rusted bike, and training wheels which looked to be in adequate shape. It's funny what you remember as a child. I can't for the life of me remember how old I was exactly, or even the year of that summer. But I can still feel the heat rising from that driveway ashphalt, and how much I wanted to get those damned training wheels on. A few hours turned to a few days until I finally managed to get my little hands to properly position the wheels on the rear of the bike and successfully fasten them in. I stared at my creation in pride and jumped on to take my very first ride. Where shall I go? China??? Africa??? OOOOOOooo maybe Alaska!! Oh the endless possibilites now that I had my new vehicle. I hopped on and started peddaling my heart out! Something wasnt right... As I moved a few feet forward I realized that I was slanted sideways!!! AHHHH!!! I fell down and examined the bike. It seems that the training wheels werent fastened tight enough. I wasn't strong enough. My hands weren't big enough. I wasn't smart enough. I wasn't old enough. I was discouraged for a brief moment but at the same time I really wanted to ride my bike to the other side of the world and back. Needless to say, I spent most of that summer tightening those wheels, jumping on the bike, riding a few feet, and falling down. I did this every single day for a few months until THAT day came. The day when I rode all the way down my street and back without my training wheels falling off! I was so proud. I was so STRONG!!!! SO SMART!!!!! SO BIG!!!!!!!! I got off the bike to look at my final creation. To relish the moment in which I, The little weakling baby was strong enough to drive those screws in place!... My bike falls to the left as I hop off. Only then did I realize that the left training wheel was laying on my driveway the whole time! I rode without it! Bolts bent, screws worn from all of my tightening, plastic wheels deteriorated. It was at that moment of my life that I realized the most important lesson I still hold to heart today. Realizing now, that at that time, I only spent those days alone trying to fix that bike NOT because I wanted to be like the other kids, or to be able to learn how to ride that bike, or to be able to fasten those training wheels in. I simply wanted to get away. I wanted a way to escape my troubles. I wanted to bike away into the unknown world and not have to face what was happening at home. Life is funny though...because I didn't even have to leave my own front yard to learn what I needed to learn that summer. That lesson that would keep me pushing forward. It's on THAT driveway, on THAT summer that molded my views on life until this day.I learned that there will always be a time when you will fall. And in that process of hard times...if you learn how to be patient enough, and wise enough, and brave enough... you will utlimately overcome a greater goal without being held back by the insignificant things. You WILL ride that bike to the end of the street. And you WONT need to worry about those training wheels falling off.

Fu*king traffic. I should have given that kid the finger!

- Triggernuts