What I remember most about living at the end of East Marvin was my bicycle, and it's very telling that I kept my "training wheels" attached until I was well into the third grade.
Bicycles were all we needed back in those days, and most of us kids all had one. New or old, I can't remember we could tell the difference. They were extremely uncomplicated, too. You pedaled forward to move ahead and backwards to stop. Very straightforward, just like the times.
Your bicycle took you just about anywhere you wanted to go, within the boundaries well defined by your parents. Williams Street delineated "my world" and even to this day if I drive past that point, I feel a twinge of discomfort. "Am I supposed to be here?"
Most, but not all, bicycles came with a kickstand. An optional feature for girls included a basket ... strategically located at the front of the handlebars. And if fully loaded, you'd find a metal plate behind the driver's seat for a rider.
The guys rarely chose such options and tended to have the type of bike you just laid down on the dirt while still in motion. And they didn't need seating space for extra riders. They just piled on top of handlebars until the tires went flat.
I can see the boys' shirt tales flying in the wind as they speeded past one another. The girls, of course, usually were grouped together, pedaling along the sidewalks.
There weren't many rules for bikes, and there certainly were no locking devices. We didn't really park our bikes, we propped them against anything and everything, but preferably not on or behind an automobile.
We were never allowed to ride bikes after dark, and I can recall many times we raced home in the dim light of dusk. Often, Mother would be standing in the glow of our porch light, as we came rushing into the driveway.
My first bike was blue and somewhat smaller than my older sister's and came fully loaded. The two, small wheels attached to the back provided a safety net for me, one which I came to rely upon.
No doubt my parents thought I'd quickly learn to balance myself and cast off the support these additional wheels offered, but I was slow to move onto such independence. I tended to hang on when something felt good…and the support of my four wheels provided an assurance I savored.
There's much to be said for the ease of going through life with training wheels attached.
Copyright ©2000 Jeanne Moseley