Friday, December 11, 2009

A Christmas Memory

I have lots of Christmas Memories.
I should, too, because I've had about 29 of them.
Work with me.
When I was 5, I got my first bike.
A purple Huffy.
Monkey bars.
Banana seat.
And those sparkly streamers on the grips.
Heaven.
The only thing I had to do was learn to ride this bad boy.
Enter my stepfather.
He would run behind me, holding me up as I barely stayed upright.
"Are you there Tyler?"
I repeated my mantra while I wobbled along.
Every time, I would hear his panting reassurance "Yes."
"Are you there?"
Huff, huff, cough, huff, wheeze. "Yes"
And one day?
"Tyler?"
**Silence**
He was at the top of the hill.
Watching.
I had done it!
And when I realized I had sailed down this path on my own,
I fell over.
But I knew I could do it.
Patience, perseverance, hard work, praise and satisfaction.
Life's lessons all wrapped up in a purple bicycle.
And that was the best gift.
Ever.

30 comments:

Tammy said...

Wonderful Christmas memory! I got one of those bad boys in blue for my birthday one year, ah the memories!

tj said...

...Are you kidding me? I had a purple Huffy with a white banana seat with, I think they called 'em "monkeybars"(the handlebars) and the pretty streamers hanging from the handlebars too! I had even given it a name because I used to pretend it was my horse...(yeah, I had, *ahem* "have", a very active imagination;o)

...Love this story MPM!

...Blessings... :o)

Caution/Lisa said...

My sister's bike was purple and I took advantage of her every absence from the house to ride her bike. Don't know what was more amazing: the bike or the feeling of using her stuff without her permission.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

What a great memory. My Middle Sister got this same bike, only it was pink and the seat had flowers on it.

I was very, very jealous.

Flea said...

Bwahaha! You fell over. But you did it! I love your Christmas memory. More, please?

Decadent Housewife said...

Banana seats - that was 1967ish. My brother had one - gold. The whole bike was gold and sparkled. Wonderful memories.

Big Hair Envy said...

What a great memory!! I had that same purple bike with a flowered seat and a basket! Best. Bike. Ever.

Unknown said...

My first bike was half JC Higgins and half Schwinn. I accidently lost it on purpose.

Linda said...

I remember getting a red Schwinn bike, but my best memory was the year, (1959) that I got my own Webster's dictionary! I still use it! The bike, not!

Rick said...

One of my best Christmas memories was the year my parents gave both my brother and I gold stingrays for Christmas. That was a big and special gift for a family with six children.

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

A wonderful gift and even better when you know you have taught it to your kids!
<><

Unknown said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful step dad. Cool bike and good people, you were a lucky girl.

Blast from the Past said...

Wonderful story. I had a gold flecked stingray and totally loved it. All the kids I hung out with growing up had them, and they even became a "place" too hang out while outside the local grocery store or on a neighborhood corner with the guys.

There are a lot of great Christmas memories this time of year... I've been working on sharing some of mine, too.

Merry Christmas!

Mango Girl said...

Wisdom from a banana seat ~ LOL!!!!

xo, Mango

p.s. please send me your email address again...I can't find it...
;(

mom x 2 said...

OMG!! I had a pink huffy bike! Banana seat and tassels from the handle bars and all :)

Suz Broughton said...

This is so funny because that is exactly my memory of learning to ride a bike. I remember after several tries my brother not being there, then I fell over.

Anonymous said...

Aren't memories the things that make us want to go on and make more!

I am a little jealous, I wanted a huffy but I got the old fashion schwinn with a basket. I really think my parents were stuck in the 50s.

Hilary said...

Great story.. tumbling over is exactly what I would have done. :)

abb said...

This is all kinds of wonderful.

Debbie said...

I was deprived LOL. I bought my first bike with $50 I won at the Colonial Store (grocery) on the greyhound races. Can't remember how old.

Mahvelous memory Mama!!

Laura ~Peach~ said...

mine was green and yellow with daisys on the seat... and I already knew how to ride... Oh how i loved that bike ... and cried years later when it was run over by a car in my aunts driveway.....

Country Girl said...

What a wonderful memory. I can't remember the first time I rode a bike.
Great story. Love that you found the old advertisement, too.

Joanie said...

That is a great heartwarming memory!

Dianne said...

banana seats!! I remember those

wonderful story
I loved the part where you realized you could do it so you fell over :)
how priceless is that!!

congrats on POTW

Cricket said...

Yes, the bicycle was just the wrapping. The real gift was something else. A lovely story. Congrats on POTW.

Land of shimp said...

That was an absolutely wonderful story, and it evoked clear memories so easily. I'd guess we're in the same age group. Childhood in the seventies, perhaps?

Huffy...the thing that came after Big Wheels...and somewhere in there was often an oven that cooked miniature cakes by use of a 100 watt bulb.

Margo said...

what a great post and memory! I had a banana seat Huffy. I got it for my birthday when I was around 7 or 8. It was hot pink with sparkles on it and I thought I was set for life :)

Kathleen said...

Fabulous story! Very impressed with the brevity and such, the dialog, the humor, and the charm. Well done!

ds said...

I never had one, but I remember those bikes, butterfuly handlebars, and the one that arched up from the rear of the banana seat. The sense of freedom from riding your own bike for the first time? That I did have, and you evoked it wonderfully. Thanks for the memory!
Congrats on your POTW mention!

Maria said...

Wonderful!

Congrats on your POTW mention!