Son and I were looking forward to riding our bicycles to school. We have a safe route -- sidewalk, neighborhood streets, and bike lanes almost the entire way. We started this last year. I got good exercise. He and I bonded over a favorite activity. And he got to his fourth grade classroom on time, with an aerated brain, energies worked out -- and with a healthy jolt to his self-esteem.
So the routine was supposed to start this morning. (Yesterday, the first day of school, was simply too hectic.)
Except we had a bad night. The stress of entering the fifth grade -- "Rules, Rules, Rules!" -- proved to be too much. In a fit of pique while putting away his beloved Chopper, he busted our front gate. Long story short: he cannot ride his bicycle until the gate is fixed.
Which means we had to drive to school this morning.
Bummer.
I sure hope that gate gets repaired soon. The punishment is killing me.
I can see where this really does fit the bill of "this hurts me more than it hurts you."
ReplyDeleteAnd the kicker... can you bike to a hardware store to get the parts to fix the gate? You should let Dr. M in on this experiment; he had us do a whole bunch of new urbanist readings.
Hi Tom:
ReplyDelete..just discovered your blog.. will try to catch up.
Bike bonding: my first guardian child (10, parents' abandoned; 24 foster homes; in group home) and I bonded on bikes -- best day was when we got lost and he guided us back (he became my guardian); worst day was when with his new found freedom he bounded down a hill and broke his wrist in 5 places...He is now adopted and I gave him a new bike for his adoption present...
there will be good and bad days....forever, like life.
Merle