Cruisin' for a Brusin'

Funny how things rarely go the way you think. Especially when you go shopping with my daughter, Jennifer. She is the (most efficient) mother of three and accustomed to being in charge, so I guess it's no surprise that we went shopping for pedometers for us and came home with a bike for me.

The sequence of events:

Jennifer: Hey, Mom! Now that we're at REI we can look for a bike for you!

Me: A bike for me?

Jennifer: You said maybe you'd rent one to see if you could still ride.

Me: Yeah, but. . .

Jennifer: Look here's the perfect one. (Leads me to a pink step-through curiser.)

Me: I can't just buy a bike without knowing if I can still ride.

Jennifer: (Brightly) They'll let you take a test ride.

So, a hemlet, a day-glo orange vest, and a release form later, we are riding bikes out behind REI, in a huge, smooth surface empty parking lot. On my first attempt, guess what? I fell off. It's a funny feeling to have your head hitting the ground, only to bounce because of the helmet. It's even funnier to have your daughter say (brightly again), "You can do it Mom."

And I did. Shaky. Clumsy. Wobbly. Scared.

But oh! the feeling of freedom and joy when I was actually riding!

Am I bruised? Yes. Did I buy the bike? Yes. And a helmet. And a bike rack. And a day-glo vest.

And what made me decide to do it? Well, Jennie said, "How about calling it a birthday present to yourself?" The tears that sprang to me eyes told me that I at least wanted to try. Try riding a bike again after 35 years at the same time as I qualify for Medicare.

Here I go - cruising at 65!