Bicycle Riding
bicycle riding
When I was a child, I spent most of the nice days of the year bicycle riding. I lived where we did not have to worry about traffic or strangers, and we had a lot of freedom. We would ride our bikes all day and into the night if our parents did not call us in. I am glad, looking back, that I had this for as long as I did. There is something great about hopping on a bike and riding with the wind in your hair. It is as close to flight as you can get as a child, short of climbing on a plane. What child does not wish they could fly?
I think all children love the feeling of bicycle riding. They can’t drive, and they are often under the tight rule of their parents, but riding a bike can feel very free, even if you have to be back for dinner. Sadly, I can’t let my daughter ride like I did when I was a child, but that is because of where we live. There is no reason why I can’t pack her up and take her down to my mother’s for some bicycle riding when we have the time though. It’s not the same as doing it every day, but I think she’ll enjoy what she can have.
My husband tells me stories of the same type of bicycle riding when he was younger, but it seems that kids don’t do it any more like they use to. I wonder why that is, though I think I have an idea. Even though there have always been people around who might want to harm our children, they were not as visible back when I was a child. People knew they existed, but they were not all over the news, and the Internet did not exist. Though I am glad this information is around for parents, it is kind of sad what it has done to a child’s ability to go outside and ride bike down the street.
I suppose if I really want my daughter to experience bicycle riding like I did when I was a kid, I had better go out and get myself a bike too. That way we can ride together. Perhaps that is just what I need. Maybe the time spent together will be worth more than I could imagine and perhaps I might find my stress levels would fall. Perhaps that is why childhood was so much fun. There was no stress!
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