Didn’t know when we (me, sister S and Jay) set out, that a day in Hastings on the Hastings-Bexhill cycle path along the seafront was going to take so long, be so short and entertain so many. We hired our bikes from High-tide cycles and almost as soon as I got on mine, I nearly came off…but this time my weak leg was just strong enough to keep me upright. S said she hadn’t ridden a bike for a few decades and went on to defy accepted wisdom and absolutely prove that she had forgotten how to. With Jay holding the seat and/or handle-bars and gently and patiently coaxing her along… we went a whole 5 yards. About 3 stop/start hours and 4 miles or so later S and I got to Bexhill….while Jay, who previously could not ride because of feeling unstable, shot off (look! no hands)…raced to Bexhill and met us coming back, before shooting off in the other direction after stopping for lunch (see pics). All the way, the lovely citizens of Hastings encouraged me and S along, gave S advice on balance and told us their riding experiences. It only took a determined S an hour to get back to Hastings….and when I wanted to stop for an icecream..she sailed past looking over her shoulder saying she wasn’t about to stop on purpose….she was right cos she then immediately wobbled to a stop accidently. One little boy (4?) said his dad still has to push him and was well impressed that S had ‘learnt’ so quickly. Yay!! S can ride a bike!! ….and Jay is now a candidate for the Tour de France. Jay was so impressed with himself we bought his rickety second-hand hire bike for £50 and took it home. Although any bike-riding on an incline is still a problem for me (my foot is not keen to dorsi-flex upwards)..I can see progress…and further progress will be as much about confidence as about physio…
We came back from Hastings to go to the funeral of friend Chris Holland (74)…the church was literally packed to the rafters. Chris did so much to improve the lot of his fellow humans it did leave me wondering what on earth I was going to do to make a difference. Chris was a civil engineer, building tunnels and roads and designing airports and latterly helping victims of landmines in Laos….I can’t match the scale of this. Think I’ve got no choice but to just try and be the absolute best I can be…. like this outstanding puppeteer making a one-to-one difference…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EcmIrQOYY0
jx
Ain't we got it made? 