Riding a bike was on my mother-in-law's bucket list. Barb lives is South Bend, IN and within the last couple of years the city has instituted a bike sharing program called Lime Bike. She had seen these green bikes all over town, and on more than one occasion she had mentioned to me how much she wanted to ride one. Well, she is 79 years old, and she doesn't use her phone for anything more than making calls and taking pictures, so she needed help with the the logistics of using an app to unlock a Lime Bike. Living in New Jersey, I really couldn't help her with this wish, until a few weeks ago when I was home for a visit. I asked her, "Do you want to go ride a bike?" and she happily said, "yes!"
Barb doesn't live to far from the campus of The University of Notre Dame, and since it was summer break, and most of the students were gone, we decided to go there. Unlike New York City where there are bike stations where you are supposed to pick up and leave bikes, Lime Bikes can be left anywhere. Each bike is equipped with GPS and you have to find one by using a map on the app. We parked our car and began our quest. The first two bikes that we came across were broken and could not be unlocked. We were undaunted, and after walking around campus for a while we finally found a bike that worked. I asked my mother-in-law if she had ever ridden a bike, and she said if she had, she didn't remember, so I gave her a quick lesson on things, like how to start riding by pushing off with one leg, while pushing down on the pedal with the other. She was a quick learner. In no time at all she was ready to give it a try.
I was holding on to the back of her seat when she started off. Barb was doing great! She was slowly gaining momentum, and I found that her balance was good and I really didn't have to hold the back of the seat to help her, so I told her I was going to let go. She yelled excitedly,"OK, take a picture." I had put her phone in my pocket so that I would be ready for this moment. I took the phone out, turned the camera on, and was shocked to find out that Barb was not where she should have been, but had fallen over on to the grass beside the sidewalk. My first thought was, "Oh My God, I've broken her!" At least I had a phone in my hands ready to call 911 if needed, but she quickly alleviated my fears by laughing and yelling, "Take a picture, take a picture!" Relieved, I snapped away.
She was ready to call it quits, but I reminded her that we hadn't gotten the picture we needed for proof, so she was a trooper and hopped on the bike again for the photo op. She didn't travel far, but she didn't have to. She had done what she came to do, ride a bike, and I was so proud of her, but more importantly, she was proud of herself.
Barb is a wonderful role model. That day she taught me that you are never to old to try something new, you need get out of your comfort zone, and you can handle whatever comes your way with a sense of humor. We had fun that day. Can't wait to see what our next adventure will be...😊
Barb doesn't live to far from the campus of The University of Notre Dame, and since it was summer break, and most of the students were gone, we decided to go there. Unlike New York City where there are bike stations where you are supposed to pick up and leave bikes, Lime Bikes can be left anywhere. Each bike is equipped with GPS and you have to find one by using a map on the app. We parked our car and began our quest. The first two bikes that we came across were broken and could not be unlocked. We were undaunted, and after walking around campus for a while we finally found a bike that worked. I asked my mother-in-law if she had ever ridden a bike, and she said if she had, she didn't remember, so I gave her a quick lesson on things, like how to start riding by pushing off with one leg, while pushing down on the pedal with the other. She was a quick learner. In no time at all she was ready to give it a try.
I was holding on to the back of her seat when she started off. Barb was doing great! She was slowly gaining momentum, and I found that her balance was good and I really didn't have to hold the back of the seat to help her, so I told her I was going to let go. She yelled excitedly,"OK, take a picture." I had put her phone in my pocket so that I would be ready for this moment. I took the phone out, turned the camera on, and was shocked to find out that Barb was not where she should have been, but had fallen over on to the grass beside the sidewalk. My first thought was, "Oh My God, I've broken her!" At least I had a phone in my hands ready to call 911 if needed, but she quickly alleviated my fears by laughing and yelling, "Take a picture, take a picture!" Relieved, I snapped away.
She was ready to call it quits, but I reminded her that we hadn't gotten the picture we needed for proof, so she was a trooper and hopped on the bike again for the photo op. She didn't travel far, but she didn't have to. She had done what she came to do, ride a bike, and I was so proud of her, but more importantly, she was proud of herself.
Barb is a wonderful role model. That day she taught me that you are never to old to try something new, you need get out of your comfort zone, and you can handle whatever comes your way with a sense of humor. We had fun that day. Can't wait to see what our next adventure will be...😊
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