Motivation

It's easy to drive the car.  I've always known that.  I've just recently come to realize that.  You see, when I was in high school back in the dark ages I was the last of my circle of friends to be eligible for a driver's license.  I put that one off for a while.  I didn't want to drive really.  It's not that I had anything against it but I had this great bike at the time.  At age 14 I started working weekends at a neighbor's veterinary clinic cleaning out the dog kennels before the place opened up.  I can't say it was the nicest first job but you got used to the smell after a few days.  It was a simple job.  You moved all the dogs into one side and hosed/scrubbed/squeegeed it down and then did the other side.  I started it with my sister and then the next summer I did it by myself.  I saved up enough money to buy my first bike on my own.  It was this bike that I rode to high school and had every intention of riding thru my three years there.  My parents had a different idea.  They (my Mom really) were tired of driving me around and they knew that I'd need to drive some time so thus my lessons started.  It was the death of my riding as transportation for a while.  I got my license and then saved up for my first truck and the rest as they say is history.

I had a similar moment this morning.  The wind was rising all evening and I had run outside to get the laundry off the line after dark lest it blow away over night.  By morning it was windy enough that my daughter took one look at the swings in the tree hanging at 45 degree angles to the ground and said "it doesn't look like a day for the bikes".  I have no idea why but I quickly agreed and put my bike on top of the car.  I feel kind of silly now.  It's windy.  There's no doubt about that but I feel like I missed an opportunity to teach and for the kids to learn.  I fee like it would have been a good thing to ride and see that it was OK if a bit wobbly at times.  It would have been a good confidence booster.  For me, not them :)

I guess I got to learn another lesson today....again.  Staying motivated to leave the car at home is at times difficult.