Paper Lantern

LoosePebbles

BC ~ "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." -- Albert Einstein.

They say...whoever THEY are...that one Never forgets how to ride a bicyle. Which Seems to be holding true, as I can go Decades without so much as attempting to ride, but once balanced precariously, then pushing away from my one - legged safety net, it is as though I was born on two wheels.
I do so wish that this held true for Everything that one sets aside for an extended period of time, but, alas, I assure you...it does not! I used to be able to Climb to great heights (then Jump from those heights) without fear. Once, I could ride baby carnival rides that spun, twisted, dropped, and flipped. Now I cannot move more than 6 inches forward and back on my grandkids swing without the urgent urgency of feeling like I must Vomit! Just saying.
On to the quote, with all Haste and, well...Seriousness. Perhaps. When I think about (it is Amazing how easily one remembers Trauma, ha, ha) when I first learned to ride a bike at 6 years old, with every crash leading to scrapes, cuts, and scars, the Last thing that I wanted to do was return to the contraption that was set on Killing me! However...as most kiddos are were forced to...I found myself repeatedly enduring a fear like no other. Until, the very moment that I learned the Balancing act that, well...saved my life. Or, er...at least my dignity. I would never have learned the freedom that one feels as the Master of the two-wheeled wobbly chunk of metal, had I just been allowed to give up!
The same is true for life. If I do not embrace the Fear...the challenges...the opportunities along the way, stasis and stagnation set in with a Vengeance. If I falter and fall, and refuse to rise for a time, it becomes so much more difficlt to find my equilibrium.
Life does not promise to be easy. To be pain-free...no scrapes, bruises, or scars. However, I know that I must pedal, and pedal hard, to maintain the balance reuired to meet success. Just like riding a bike, once I reach a certain speed (and this is different for everyone), I hardly notice the effort to hold my bike upright, and keep it moving. It is not as if I am putting forth any less effort than when I first learned to ride; I have just taught my body's movements to become one with my bike. So, too, must I navigate life's bumps and bends in the road; it's loose pebbles that seek to give me a tumble.