Riding a Bicycle Shouldn’t Be Too Hard, Right?

Daily writing prompt

What’s the thing you’re most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it?

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When my husband and I went to Barbados in 2021 to visit his four kids who had moved there after Covid-19 hit, he bicycled around the island on an electric bicycle with his son. He and his son love to bicycle on the Silver Comet Trail near us, and he often rides alone. I made sure he had a good helmet and pads, but, as much as I would love to join him, I never learned to ride a bicycle. I so envy the couples on their bikes as we walk the trail. But, at my age, I am afraid of beginning to ride because of the possibility of falling and breaking a hip.

When I a little girl, my mother allowed my older sister to learn to ride a bike and skate, but she didn’t allow me to do the same or to learn to swim. She would say that she didn’t want me to get hurt. So, in the 1950s and 1960s when every child seemed to have a bike and rode for miles away from their neighborhoods, I sat in the house with a book, afraid to go outside. I became a well-read scaredy cat.

But on a solo trip to Geneva, Switzerland I learned to not let fear prevent me from enjoying a full vacation. I was afraid to get in a gondola, but when the tour guide informed me that she had to remain with me instead of going to see the view at the top of the French Alps, I couldn’t let my fear destroy her desire.

So, I entered both the gondolas needed to reach the top, and when I stepped out of the second gondola, I saw the most beautiful view of my life. I stood for at least an hour just staring at snow-covered mountains where no person had ever trod, and I was in awe of the Lord who created such beauty. I worshiped God on that mountaintop, and I decided that I would never let fear be the reason I didn’t try an activity or go someplace.

I have overcame my fears enough to ride to the top of the French Alps in a gondola, to travel 35000 feet above sea level every year to visit family in Portugal, and to drive a car. I never managed to overcome my fear of falling to learn to ride a bicycle. But, I have thought lately of buying a recumbent bike, the one low to the ground, that I see many older people riding on the trail. It would give me exercise and help to keep me healthy. I don’t have far to fall, and I would wear a helmet. This post reminded me that the time is now. Wave when you see me coming on the trail!

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