Riding Toward Autonomy

It’s gonna be over before I know it. I hate that, and yet I love it. Ev is growing, growing, growing…. Don’t say it. In another week he’ll be 5.

This past week I had the opportunity to ride bikes with him. We were both on our righteous BMX bikes, his blue, mine orange. It’s been an adjustment for him as he’s moved up a size to a 16 inch bike. There’s lots for him to be nervous about—it goes faster, it’s harder to jam on the brake, and it’s a bit further to the pavement should he lose control.

Saturday morning was awesome, though. In spite of any trepidation he took off on that bike with authority. We cruised a near-by parking lot, one that is not in use on Saturdays. It has lots of ins and outs and pavement and sidewalks and porticos. “I’m the leader!” he called back to me. And for the next 25 minutes I got to see Ev evolve: I saw him grow in confidence. I witnessed the blossoming of his awareness of his own competence. I could see him beginning to understand he could own and control a piece of his world. It was seeing him beginning to understand there is a whole life and a whole world out there and he could participate.

Maybe I’m reading more into that bike ride than was there. But I doubt it. Even if I am, I can be certain of this: He’s beginning to understand he can be a real person, capable of doing and belonging. And it was great. Probably the best use ever found for a 16” boys blue BMX bicycle. And for my orange one as well, for that matter.