A point of perfect balance

The other day I was riding my bike along the bike path and I had to slow down to go around some people. As I was cruising at ultra low speed, I felt perfectly balanced, completely content and at home. No anxiety about possibly falling over despite the low speed. It was a novel experience and it got me reflecting on when I first learned to ride a bike as a kid. This was a painful, slow and frustrating experience. I don't retain very many early childhood memories, but I have a glimmer of that instant when, contrary to all of my expectations and all my experience, I was suddenly balanced on the bike and cruising down the street. How awesome a gift of the person who taught me! That person was my Dad, and that moment I experienced just the other day would never have been possible without the patience and kindness he showed me in teaching me.

Motivated by my reflections, I posted the following to Facebook that evening:

 My Dad and I may not see eye to eye, but I am grateful to him for 
1. teaching me to read
2. teaching me to ride my bike
3. teaching me to drive
4. helping to instill in me a love for mathematics
The first three all seemed interminable and frustrating as I went through them, but that moment when I finally mastered each of them was quite satisfying. I doubt I would have had the patience to put up with me as a student.

Indeed, he showed similar determination and patience in teaching me to read and to drive. These are, without question, immensely beneficial skills to have.

Regular readers of my blog may know that I have had issues with my Dad and may be wondering about the change of tone of this post. Both sides are true. He was a source of immense pain during the very impressionable formative years of my life, but he has also been a source of immense benefit. It's good to be able to see both sides.