The Girl on the Blue BIke by K.K. Wattes

 

People love to share  pictures; family, friends, sports, vacations, pets, you name it, people share. Social media makes sharing easy and more fun. I finally figured out how to use Facebook and with a touch of my finger I can see what my girls are up to through the pictures and comments they post. Seeing the pictures of the new winery or the people at the concert tells me the kids are all right. 

 

My aunt Pepa posted a picture of  my grandma Maria, who would have been 117 this year.  I felt happy when I saw it. She was a grand lady. That picture reminded me of an important person in my past and I thought about all this incredible woman survived to flourish throughout the trials of life in the early 20th century. Other pictures could fill out the story. 

 

Some pictures share the moment and others the past. Can they share the future? Four pictures in my minds eye do. These are snapshots of action, feelings, determination that light forward. They are etched in my mind like  ancient slide shows. They exist in no other medium and  I can only share them through words. But, they do exist and I can see them and feel them as clearly as looking at a picture taken by 16 mega pixal Nikon digital camera.

 

On that day the school yard was filled with families. They had come out to participate in Bike Safety Day sponsored by the school. Bike mechanics were doing safety inspections and the school volunteers  had set up a safety course for kids to ride through. Every kid who attended got a free bike inspection, words about bike safety and a chance to ride their bikes through the course. 

 

I had taught each of my four girls the joy of riding a bike. The twins had just been taught and given little blue bikes with white banana seats, high handlebars and white hand grips with white tassels flowing from the ends. They had gone through the inspection and training like all the other kids. When the event was over Val asked if we could stay on a bit a little longer, she wanted to do the course again. She had some trouble on the course the first time, all the kids and families waiting their turn to ride probably had some impact. We stayed and she rode.

 

There was nothing significant about the course. It was laid out on the school ground with figure eights and cones to ride between, straight aways and curved lines to ride on and follow. The course could be done in a few minutes depending on how fast the child was riding. I can't image what it looked like to a newly minted about to enter 1rst grade rider. That was Val. 

 

When most of the others families had gone Val started riding the course again. She must have ridden through the course 50 times, starting from the beginning, twisting and turning her small frame, finishing and riding back to the start. Each time she did it I saw her confidence increase and her skills at figure eights getting tighter. She rode faster and slower as the course required. Around the 25th time or so she started soaring. Her mind, small body, the bike and the course merged. Its what physiologist call flow. I believe that in her mind, the little blue bike had become a magic carpet taking her off the ground, gliding through obstacles effortlessly and taking her places only she knew. 

 

The look of apprehension that she started with had turned to joy and wonderment that she, Val, in a new house, a new neighborhood, with new friends and about to enter 1rst grade, could fly.  Through the air, on a magical blue bike with white tassels streaming paste her face, powered by her own will she continued.  She made that moment happen, "Dad, Can I stay? I want to do the course again". She rode and rode. Beyond the limitations known as physics, beyond the fear of not knowing, beyond the conformity of what others were doing, she rode into her personality that would serve her so well beyond the course and beyond that day.

 

On that day and in that picture I saw the future. I knew that Val would go through life determine and unbounded. I knew that she would achieve what ever she set out to do. She would be kind, good, friendly and happy about wherever she was or what ever she did. She would work to what ever end she chose. 

 

The little first grader would run with the best of high school athletes, win national robotic engineering contests with world class engineers. She would go on to get nominate by her high schools peers as one of the 10 students most likely to be successful. She would attend the great University called Purdue, travel to China to the Olympics and meet the best young men and women of her time from all over the world. She would find her way to the Magic Kingdom, to London and travel the country running races in states near and far. 

 

The first grader on the blue bike with white streamers found her way. She found opportunities, and callings she is passionate about. She found friends who will save the world with her, one good deed at a time.  Keep riding Val, I still have the picture.