You would think with all the kids on our street that there would be bikes everywhere. But that was not the case. Sandra had a bike and later Doug got one. But that was all. Of course there were other families that had bikes but not every kid had their own bike. I remember trying to ride Sandra’s bike. It was too big for me but I was determined. I persisted and fell and skinned my knees and elbows many times. Aunt Mima was sure I was going to kill myself. Eventualy I mastered the bike and Life was Good.
My main mode of transportation after I grew out of the tricycle was roller skates. Talk about skinned knees and elbows. We did not have helmets and knee and elbow pads. I had scabbed knees for years. Scares upon scars. My roller skates were the kind you had to attach to your own shoes. You had a special key that would tighten them to your shoes. It was best to use leather soled shoes. Canvas shoes did not work very well. The skate would slip off too easily. But the skates would leave marks on you leather shoes. But to me that was a small price to pay for the mobility of skates. I could go all the way down town on my skates. I would wear the key around my neck and it would swing back and forth in front unless I stuffed it down my shirt. Just remembering those days I can almost taste the dust and feel the wind when I got to a hill and could just coast down. I liked to skate on the sidewalks around the college because they were wide and didn’t have as many cracks. But the college didn’t like the kids skating through so I had to be careful and not get caught. Now, I realize, what could they do but yell at me and tell me to get out. But I didn’t like to be yelled at. So I was careful.
What a great time to be a kid.
Oh, Barbara. I didn’t have a bike! We had a boy’s bike (Doug’s because I think he was through wanting it by the time Richard was interested, if he ever rode it) and the Girl’s bike which I had to share with You and Kathy. of course you probably thought it was mine because I was frantic to get to it first and escape to some place where no one else would get it away from me…sorry. I wasn’t a very considerate big sister, I’m afraid.