Quantcast Like Not Riding a Bike - Sunday Inquirer Magazine

Like Not Riding a Bike

| 4 Comments | 1 TrackBack
By Ruel S. De Vera, Associate Editor Sunday Inquirer Magazine IT'S an expression that I could never really identify with. "It's like riding a bike." Apparently, it means that once you've learned how to do a certain thing, you never forget. But what if you never learned to do it in the first place? As a bookish, skinny kid, I never learned to ride a bicycle. I remember sharing a tricycle with my siblings, but never going too fast because it made me dizzy. I actually remember riding an actual bike -- but with training wheels -- years later -- in a spectacularly unsuccessful fashion. For some reason, I really could not keep the bike upright and in motion, this, even with the training wheels. I kept crashing into the subdivision's foliage and getting scratches and bumps. I pretty much gave up trying to learn—and never did. There are many things to take away from that little tidbit. For one thing, balance has never been my strong suit. Despite my best efforts, multi-tasking is not one of my strengths. I'm more like that memorable member of DC's Legion of Super-Heroes, Jo Nah, better known as Ultra Boy (the Keith Giffen version). Ultra Boy, after all, had all of Superboy's powers, but could only use them one at a time. Thus, I can really only do one activity at any given moment, as that one activity requires all my attention. So, I never learned how to drive. When I had to steer, I kept forgetting how to shift gears. When I had to shift to second, I couldn't figure out how to brake. The weird thing is that I love cars and can appreciate a muscular motorcycle. Even stranger, I love watching the Tour de France. I consider Lance Armstrong to be a true role model, am glad that his manager Johan Bruyneel is a true organization genius. Every year, I enjoy watching the peloton and its battle up and down the peaks. It will be a pleasure to watch Armstrong ride the Tour for Bruyneel at Team Astana no matter what the results. And all this, for someone who can't keep a bicycle upright. It's a lesson I guess that just because we can't do something, doesn't mean we can't appreciate it. In fact, we might actually be able to appreciate, even love it more precisely because we can't. That is something we never forget -- how it is, not to ride a bike. Read about bicycles and other traffic ideas in the November 30 issue of the Sunday Inquirer Magazine.

1 TrackBack

TrackBack URL: http://blogs.inquirer.net/cgi/mt/mt-tb.cgi/6406

Augmentin side effects.... Autism and augmentin. Augmentin side effects tongue. Augmentin....----- PING: TITLE: Elavil. URL: http://www.theinsider.com/users/Elavil DATE: 12/13/2009 05:46:36 PM IP: 127.0.0.1 Elavil.... Elavil. Interactions between elavil and geodone. Elavil facts....----- PING: TITLE: Celebrex. URL: http://www.theinsider.com/users/Celebrex DATE: 12/11/2009 05:48:57 PM IP: 127.0.0.1 Celebrex adverse side effects.... Celebrex lawyers tx. Mix celebrex toradal. Colorado celebrex lawyers. Celebrex. Denver celebrex attorney....----- PING: TITLE: Cialis. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3294 DATE: 11/26/2009 01:41:57 AM IP: 67.159.44.63 Cialis lawyers.... Levitra cialis viagra comparison....----- PING: TITLE: Phentermine 37 5mg. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3300 DATE: 11/25/2009 11:19:48 AM IP: 206.51.226.198 Phentermine.... Phentermine no prescription. Phentermine without prescription. Card master no phentermine prescription. Phentermine prescription. Cheap phentermine online....----- PING: TITLE: Celebrex adverse side effects. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3285 DATE: 11/25/2009 02:18:18 AM IP: 74.86.238.186 Denver celebrex attorney.... Colorado celebrex attorneys. Celebrex attorneys dallas. Celebrex. Joint pain treatment celebrex doctor arthritis....----- PING: TITLE: What is vicodin. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3302 DATE: 11/24/2009 02:48:43 PM IP: 67.159.44.63 Vicodin and no consults and no prescription.... Vicodin. Dangers of vicodin. Liquid vicodin. Buy vicodin online without a prescription....----- PING: TITLE: Xanax with herbal medicines. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3296 DATE: 11/23/2009 12:28:48 PM IP: 74.86.238.186 Xanax overdose.... Side effects of drug xanax. What happens when you crush xanax xr. 2mg xanax order. Xanax....----- PING: TITLE: Amaryl who makes. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3284 DATE: 11/22/2009 11:01:09 PM IP: 74.86.238.186 Avandia amaryl.... Amaryl....----- PING: TITLE: Cialis. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3303 DATE: 11/22/2009 10:31:15 AM IP: 74.86.238.186 Cialis in las vegas.... Cialis cocaine combination....----- PING: TITLE: Cialis drug. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3306 DATE: 11/21/2009 03:42:15 PM IP: 74.86.238.186 Cialis.... Cialis drug. Cialis online. Side effects of cialis. Cialis generic. Cialis....----- PING: TITLE: Cialis. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3312 DATE: 11/21/2009 06:16:25 AM IP: 70.32.68.28 Buy cialis.... Taking viagra with cialis. Cialis viagra levitra. Buy cialis. Buy cialis mg x in us online pharmacy. Cialis....----- PING: TITLE: Cialis. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3310 DATE: 11/20/2009 04:44:49 PM IP: 74.86.238.186 Buy viagra online uk cialis levitra.... Cialis....----- PING: TITLE: Medicated ephedra block. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3298 DATE: 11/20/2009 07:41:24 AM IP: 74.86.238.186 Ephedra attorneys san diego.... Buy direct ephedra. Ephedra liquid gel products. Ephedra....----- PING: TITLE: Cialis. URL: http://forums.hyperic.com/jiveforums/profile.jspa?userID=3304 DATE: 11/20/2009 01:57:24 AM IP: 66.96.208.53 Cialis.... Cialis drug. Cialis best price buy online. Cialis generic. Cialis....----- -------- Read More

4 Comments

Hi Ruel,

It's nice to hear your story. You can join our yahoogroup Philippine Executive Cycling Assoc. (PECA). Post your queries regarding cycling, we love to help get on the saddle and join us.

Raul Lumenario

You are right Ruel. We dont need to be good in order to appreciate one thing. Certainly, i am not a good singer but i do appreciate good music. Vive le Tour! Hope you continue to cheer for Lance as much i do.

That's interesting. That's life. If you can't be the performer, be the spectator. I remember my fear of riding a bike when I was eight. I've always loved bicycles but being very small then, I can't even hop on that bike (it was my cousin's Shimano mini racer, which WAS the bike to have in the early eighties.) And then, one day there was this party at our house, and there was this cute girl (one of my many childhood crushes), a distant cousin of mine who arrived with my other cousins. Wanting to impress her, I boarded the bike, expecting to crash among the balusters and bougainvillas (ouch!) of my mother. Then, miraculously, I can ride a bike, just like that. I went around the terrace in circles, and everyone was surprised. I'd say it was "inspiration" that taught me to ride a bike. Later, in high school I became a member of a BMX rider gang, doing some scary and dangerous tricks and exhibitions, and spending all my allowance on expensive Japan made parts. Looking back today, I can only smile at the memory of a reckless youth that will never come again. Today I ride my trusty mountain bike every weekend, but without the daredevil tricks. The goal is just to keep fit and get into shape. And that girl is now married, with two kids.

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by published on November 24, 2008 10:50 AM.

Missing Michael was the previous entry in this blog.

Not Getting Back Together is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.