Day 19: No Hands (Throwback Thursday)
No
Hands
On the way back from the
library, I see him in my rearview mirror.
A red windbreaker, white hair, and faded jeans slowly move towards
me. The man sits upright on a ten speed,
two triumphant arms in the air. Like a
child, he continues to bike past Dougherty Street and down the hill towards
Lake Tomahawk. I watch his achievement
until he bikes out of sight. I am the
only witness to this small act. On the
way back to school, I drive towards the park, hoping to see the biker again,
but he is gone. Probably off to do some
other trick of life.
I pull into the parking
lot at school, walk into the classroom, and sit on the floor next to a student who is nine. “I saw the coolest
thing on my break today,” I tell her.
Her eyes light up, sure that I have a magical story to tell. Something with punch, but I only have a
lesson learned. “I saw an older
gentleman ride his bike today with no hands!
He first only put one hand in the air but then he did both!” Disappointed but kind, the student says, “Oh,
that’s cool. I can do that too.”
In my mind, I have so
much to say. I want to tell her that
this is what life is all about. It’s a
series of disappointments, challenges, triumphs, and detours. It’s about staying young, having fun, even
when someone tells you that you are too old to act like a child. If you’re lucky, one day, you ride your bike
with no hands. Maybe no one is there to
watch it with you, maybe only a stranger is there to witness your
accomplishment, but it is a victory nonetheless.
What I wanted to say was,
“This is important,” but she wasn’t ready to listen and I’m not sure I know
what I’m even talking about.
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