Teach someone how to ride a bike

“I remember standing at the corner of Shenandoah and Airdrome Streets, my hand on the back of her bike for just a moment. I was probably yelling “Momentum!” Maybe we both were. And then, magically, there was no more pressure at the back of the bike at all. The bike was gone. And there she was, riding down the block—a tiny tilt to the left, a tiny tilt to the right, and then upright again. Tilt, tilt, upright. Tilt, tilt, upright. It was beautiful. Safe and steady. Just the right amount of momentum.”

“I spent several weeks with my hands at the back of my daughter’s bike after the training wheels came off, feeling her wobble as I held on, trying to guide her, making sure she didn’t fall over. Sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn’t. She’d be up—the bike would pull hard at my left or right side—then down she’d go. The wheels would move, but not quite fast enough for her to maintain her balance. I kept encouraging her to keep her legs moving—“Keep it going!”

“I guess I always assumed when I taught my children, it would be a bonding experience. In all my infinite bike wisdom, I would instruct them accordingly, then run along behind them as I guided their path. After a few failed attempts, I would release them and they would soar away as I sang out, “Fly little bird, fly!” Instead, my experience has been “YOU’RE BEING ABSURD. YOU WON’T DIE!”