‘nother ride…

seems as soon as son got up this morning, he was talking/asking about going for a ride. unfortunately i was booked all day with meetings and couldn’t slip away - even for a little bit. so he had be patient all day – an almost impossible task for a six year-old who’s just been exposed to the joys of riding…

after work, the wife and i are sitting on the front porch, sharing the events of our day. as son walks up, wife comments on how badly he and i need a hairscut. son, of course, is only concerned with squeezing a ride out of me. but not just any ride… seems he’s already progressed beyond the short rides around the ‘hood – he wants to hit the streets!!!

much to my surprise, wife mentions us going to get hairscuts on the bike. this was quite an offer from wife considering she was seriously not ready for him to start riding. so from being reluctant about him even riding the streets in our ‘hood yesterday, to offering to get him out on the roads today was quite a step for her. (thanks honey – you’re the best.)

of course son had no interest in the hairscut part – he just wanted to ride, out of the ‘hood and into the world. plus he knows the barber shop is only about a ten minute ride. i tell him we’ll get our hairscut and then we’ll head out for a longer ride… he agrees, knowing it was pretty much the only way he was getting a ride tonight. and let’s face it, even if the ride was only ten minutes, it’s still better than no ride!!

i think the short ride to the barber was also comforting to me. this would be the first time we really got any speed over twenty-five. i didn’t know how he would react. or how i would feel about it. only riding to the barber shop would give either of us an out – we could decide to head home and not have to admit we weren’t totally comfortable.

in hindsight, there was little chance of that happening!!! the ride to the barber only solidified his passion for riding.

after the barber, with son declaring how hungry he was, we decided to grab a bite to eat. me, not quite being ready to take him out on a major road, decided to take the back roads to the eatery. the added benefit being the longer ride. and the even longer ride back home after eating.

looking back on the evening, and yesterday, i’m thrilled i get to share the experience of his first ride with him. i’m sure he’ll be asking to go on a ride every day. unfortunately he’s got to share riding time with others in the family. i’m not looking forward to the disappointment, the look in his eyes, when he has to watch someone else riding off with me and he’s left behind.

i haven’t broke the news to him yet that wife/mom has first right-of-refusal on all rides. maybe that’s something i’ll let him discover on his own… for now, i’ll enjoy his excitement…