Most people learn to ride a bike as a kid...

Not me!

I’ve heard that 80 % of the time people have negative thoughts. Once in a while, I agree with them! Wondering: what would have happened if they had positive thoughts 80% of the time? All the time… One moment, when my thoughts leaned to the positive side, I decided to learn…. I bought a wonderful bicycle, made a commitment, and began the self torture…

It took a lot of optimistic energy to convince myself that I could do it. After getting more than a couple of bruises (who is counting?), I started learning and realized that riding with an angle of 45 degrees wouldn't take me away from my initial spot for more than a yard. I hired a trainer.

So, my trainer holds the seat and tells me how great I am doing when the angle between my body and the ground changes to 70 degrees. But how can I make it to 90 degrees?

The cars are passing by… I feel that all drivers, including their dogs are looking through the windows, and are laughing at me. And suddenly, I realize that the angle between me and our green and partially grey planet increases into my favor. The fact that it’s partially grey I was realizing again and again when my body was hitting the asphalt. I am still riding slowly, very slowly! I am still slowly passing by the trees and houses on my street.

And suddenly, an elderly woman comes into the picture, looking nonstop at me through her big window. "Okay, I have to quit," was my first thought. "What an embarrassment I am creating on my head entertaining the neighborhood. I have to stop this immediately!”

I ride to the stop sign hoping that no one would see me again until I get to my shelter. But this does not happen! On the way back, having the trainer behind me but not holding the bicycle any more, I notice that woman coming out of her house toward me.

“Now she will tell me what she thinks and I will have to look for a realtor and hide my nature in some other neighborhood. Goodness, I think, she will say "get serious! Stop entertaining everybody."

So, the woman comes closer, and I have to stop. I was prepared to hear her bitter truth.

"I want to tell, you something'" she starts. "I was looking at you and I thought when I was 10 I tried to ride a bicycle and I fell.”

“OK, What next?” I think.

“When I was 40 I tried it again...and I fell.”

“Hurray! I have company!” I thought!

“I tried it again when I was 53,” the woman says, “and I made it. I admire you," she says. "It takes a lot of belief in yourself to do what you are doing." With these words, she pulls her right arm from behind her back and hands me a bouquet of flowers.

"I got these for you from my garden. I admire you."

Janna Yeshanova, www.LoveIsNeverPastTense.com