Eigo de Essay
Riding a Bicycle How old were you when you learned how to ride a bicycle? Some kids start riding a bike even before they start school. I was ten, probably the only fifth-grader who couldn't ride a bike in my neighborhood. Riding a bicycle is not just a matter of balance but also requires some courage when you first ride out without those little training wheels. Just like other kids, I started some practice long before the age of ten. My father, who was an all-round athlete, had no clue why it took me forever to learn how to ride a bike and gave up on me after a few practices. Therefore, my mother, who herself never learned how to ride a bike, was in charge. She would hold the back of the bike and ran right behind me. I would tell her not to let go off of the bike, but, of course, after running a few meters, she let me and the bicycle go, and I fell off. I hated getting my knees and arms grazed. While other kids were running around on their bikes, I was reading books and drawing pictures at home. My brain was full of fantasies, and daydreaming was my favorite activity. I was no good at what kids playing outside were doing anyway. When playing dodgeball, I was the first to be out, and a jump rope always got tangled around my feet. I was an indoor kid and didn't really get bored being on my own. As for the bicycle practice, I was left alone for some years as both my parents realized I'd be better off just walking or running on my own feet. Then I had that dream I'd always remember, not one of the daydreams I often had those days, but a real dream you dream while sleeping. In the dream, I was speeding on my bike on an open field. My hair was being blown by the wind I was creating, and things on both sides rapidly flew away. The next day, I pulled my bike, which was getting a bit rusty, out of the shed. I sat astride it and pedaled out. I didn't fall off, but moved forward, sped up, and turned around smoothly. Was it a case of a prophetic dream? A 'dream comes true' thing? When I look back, I guess what I needed was some proper image training after all.
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