I'm posting for the first time from my new apartment! In case you missed it, I'm moving from Lower Queen Anne to West Green Lake. I still only have a few things in the new place, but it's enough that I can sleep here and spend some time here without having to sit on the floor. I'll be completely moved in within the next couple of weeks.
I think living by Green Lake is going to be really good for me. My apartment is a block and a half from the lake, so I have NO excuse about not going for walks there. I took my first walk today (somehow I'd never taken a walk around the lake before - stupid me), and it's BEAUTIFUL. Maybe that's just because today is also a sunny, lovely spring day, but no, I think Green Lake is just inherently beautiful. I'm so excited to be living here.
Living by the lake is also physically inspiring for me. It's really fun watching all the bikers, roller skaters, scooterers, runners, and walkers, and it makes me want to join them. A few days ago my mom told me that she had a dream about watching me ride a bike with my hair blowing behind me in the wind (I think I had longer hair in the dream). Watching the bikers at Green Lake after hearing about that dream makes me want to bike again.
The last time I rode a bike was late in high school in an attempt to learn how to ride again after my 5th grade surgery and recovery. I never got the hang of it again. The phrase "Once you know how to ride a bike you'll never forget" does not ring true for me. I was always terrified of falling, and did fall hard a few times. It still scares me when I think about it. On the other hand, the image from Mom's dream is a very tempting one. I remember biking when I was little and loving it. Juggling the two reactions is really confusing. Probably the hardest part aside from dealing with the fear of falling is the embarrassment of not being able to ride a bike. Everyone I know bikes. If I were to learn again, I'd have no idea where to start...
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Seth Godin ( http://bit.ly/8XgmLF ) suggests that the best way to learn to ride a bicycle is to have someone on roller blades stabilize you. I haven't actually tried this, but it sounds plausible.
ReplyDeleteI've heard this method of teaching someone to ride a bike (even adults who've never done it before:
ReplyDeletestart with the seat nice and low, so the rider can push themselves along with their feet. When that's comfortable, then raise the seat a bit so the toes can still make contact. Paddling along with your feet gets you comfortable with the sensation of riding a bike, while still haveing the ability to stabilize with your feet. As you get more comfortable, you can try the pedals. When you're comfortable peadling, you can raise the seat up to the full hight, where you have to hop off the seat to touch the ground.
I'd be happy to help and go on rides around greenlake with you. :) <3