Life presents us with many decisions to make on a daily basis. Some have to be made on the spot, others can be worked on for some time, allowing us to look at many different options. In the end, we are always hoping that the decision we make, be it quick or drawn out, is the correct one. This story is about a decision that had to be made quickly…
I was in my mid teens and my father decided to buy two enduro 100 motorcycles. We had had snowmobiles for a while and Doug and I would love taking them up in the hills during the winter. But, dad would not let us have motorcycles because he thought them too dangerous. So, imagine our surprised when he brought these motorcycles home. We were all excited about the purchase, especially Doug and myself, since we could now ride into the hills during the warm summers and not have to wait for the snow to fall.
For all of us, there was a bit of learning curve. We had to learn the gears, how to shift, how to accelerate and how to brake. We were taking turns learning and riding, When Debbie decided it was her turn to try. She figured that since she was a good bike rider, that the motorcycle would not be that much more difficult. Since she is 6 years my junior and let’s say that I was 15, this means that she was 9 years old. Doug and I thought it a great idea to teach her to ride.
She got on the motorcycle and we got in gear for her and she took off. She was doing great, until she headed for a tree in the backyard. That is when the decision making process would come into play. She ran into the tree, the motorcycle fell over and she fell off. We ran over and picked her up and made sure she was okay and then asked, “Why did you run into the tree?”
Her response was epic, “I couldn’t decide which way to go.” There you have it, some decisions can be a tree wreck. So be it a quick or drawn out decision, let’s hope that the resulting choice helps us avoid the trees in life.
Hey, tell your own stories and if you tell my story, get it right. Yes, you taught me to ride. Mom and dad were gone on a little trip. You, Rich, and Doug were gone for a couple of hours. Ann and I were home alone. We thought we were good enough to ride the motorcycle around the yard. She took a turn. Then I did. I rode solo. And yes I couldn’t decide which way to go around a tree so I did hit a tree. The headlight was broken. Ann and I decided that I would tell Rich and she would would tell Doug. (Ann and Doug were going to go change the water in the cemetary.) I chickened out and didn’t tell Rich. When Doug came back. He ran in yelling about the damage on the motorbike, then he told Rich. They both yelled at me, saying, “you just wait until dad gets home you are going to get in so much trouble”. Well I waited out front for mom and dad to get home, knowing if my brothers told them, I would get in trouble. When mom and dad got home, the tears came and I told them what happened. They gave me a hug and asked me if I was hurt. I had a little soar on my nose. They didn’t get mad and I didn’t get in trouble. Being the youngest sometimes has its perks. I was my dad’s “little stinker”.😁
That is the beauty of telling stories while the they can be corrected. Fifty years of telling a story can cause aberrations to creep into the storyline. My story looks to be more HIstorical fiction and since Debbie is younger and still has her memories in place, was able to clear up the fictional part. Also, the part about her being the youngest and getting the perks was not lost on us, the older children. We used this to our advantage. We knew if we wanted something, all we had to do was have Debbie ask Dad and there was a good chance it would happen. I wouldn’t be surprised that Doug and I went through Debbie for the motorcycles and so she was under the assumption that they were hers. After fifty years, this could also be fiction, but still makes for a good story.
FYI Debbie, I was on the back of that motorcycle with you!! I remember hitting the ground!! I learned a lot about pre-making decisions that day!