Riding bikes with Alvin

just from the title I'm sure you have already said "oh no!"...well that is exactly what I said when Alvin asked if I wanted to ride bikes! First let me back up and explain how I believe this came up!

I decided to go outside and read my school books instead of being cooped up in the house on such a beautiful day! So as normal Alvin tends to follow me and see what it is that I am doing! He comes out and asks what I'm doing...I reply reading books for class! So he begins to just wander around the backyard where I'm reading. In the basement are two bicycles, Bob (his son) brought for me to use if I needed them. I haven't used them much because I think it is easier to walk up the gigantic hills than to ride up them! Anyways I notice Alvin became fascinated with these bikes! I almost already had a sense this wasn't going to be good, but he forgets things so I thought that might happen! Well he went back inside and I went in to check some things on the computer and he comes up and asks the magical question...would you like to go ride bikes? Well several things went through my mind 1) You just turned 89 years old, when was the last time you rode a bike? 2) you have demensia...this could be interesting 3) I still had things I needed to work on but i knew it would crush him... So I said sure I'll go ride bikes with you!

We pull out the bikes and we take them over to the street. It was quite apparent it has been a while since he had been on a bicycle. He just couldn't get it going! So he tells me he is just going to use the downhill slope to get going! Oh no! So he turns his bike to go down hill and off he goes! Somehow he ends up on the sidewalk and out of my sight! I feel like I am watching my kid and now I can't see him! AAAaaaahhhh! Finally, there he is! He is stopped by this point but still heading in a direction that will give him some boost for his ride. Well we both get going and things seem ok! Just keep in mind this is with several times of him trying to get his bikes going, him scooting along on the bike! We get to a street that is very busy so I tell him we have to turn around. We head back toward the house and since we have stopped it takes him quite a bit to get going again. I decide there is a block we can go around and be pretty confidant there won't be much traffic. So he is scootin' along and gets going. I am ahead of him just a bit and see a truck coming along the road we are going to turn on so I circle back to just let him know to watch for the truck...thinking he won't stop but just watch out! Nope! He stops! So this means he has to get going again and for some reason he stays right next to all the parked cars to do this. So he is bumping into cars and scootin' and refuses any help! So we get to the corner to turn to go back to the house and I am once again just a bit in front of him and I hear and see him fall! He didn't fall all the way down but he and the bike fell into a car and then the bike continued to crash to the ground. He caught himself on the car! so I rush over to check on him. He hops up and I urge him just to walk to bike back to the house..."No I'm fine. I can do this" Me- "I know you can do it but the house is right there." Him- "No I'm fine. I'll ride to the house!" There is no use arguing with him!

So I think that once we get back he will be done with it. As many times I am, I am wrong! We put the bikes up and I am getting ready to go into the house when I notice he is getting his bike back out! What are you doing, I ask. Him- "I'm going to just practice here in the back yard until I get it down." Me- "I think you have done good for today. Why don't we put the bike up and we can practice tomorrow." Him- "No, I won't take it on the street but I am going to practice here." Me- "I'm just afraid you will be sore tomorrow and you won't be able to move" Him- "No, I won't be sore tomorrow. I won't take it on the street but I'm just going to practice here in the back yard."

I will say that was probably one of the most frightening and sad moments of my life! He wanted to ride so bad and yet just couldn't quite get it! I hope I always have the courage to try something even though it seems impossible to do so! Oh the lessons Alvin is teaching me!