Thursday, October 29, 2009

A bolt of Blue

When one of the training wheels on my 5 year old boy’s little blue dirt-bike-style cycle feel off, I said to myself “Yup! it’s time for the universal father-son ritual. I take the other wheel off. Hold the seat firmly while he gets his little unsure butt on the seat. We take a couple of practice runs. I secretly let go off him and before he knows it, he’s riding a bike – without training wheels.
He remains eternally grateful.”

He was managing well enough with the single extra wheel so I didn’t think it was a huge hurry to get down to training day.

I opened the front door the other day and was startled by a streak of blue that whizzed past me.

Turns out the other wheel fell off too. And he just kept riding. The little bugger learned to ride on his own. And how! I didn’t know whether to be proud. Or to be angry. I guess I was both. Proud of him. Angry with myself.

Because once again I'd forgotten.

That life can’t wait.

5 comments:

Sue said...

:)

you taught him how to 'fish' and so he did!

Sudhir Pai said...

My dad had something to say a few years back about his Prince of Wales, "These days, even before you know it, your children start taking you for a ride."

Probably why he never let me graduate to anything beyond a cycle. :)

Jerry! dats me:-) said...

He's definitely "Ready to Ride" now.

whatmark said...

hahaha jerry. good one. inside joke people.

good to hear from you sue.

sudhir, you dont ride even now? no wonder you liked the enfield thunderbird "leave home" campaign . :-)

Sudhir Pai said...

(sheepish grin)
I'll take that hint, mark.
:)