Posted on 03/07/2003 1:36:32 AM PST by Recovering_Democrat
Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. When our youngest son Kyle was ready to learn to ride a bicycle, I thought I’d be off the hook. I had taught his brothers Ryan and Joel to ride, and now they would teach Kyle. But one evening my wife Cathy said sweetly, "Ted, I think it’s a good time for you to teach Kyle to ride a bike." I went down to the garage to get the red Columbia we had bought for Joel and let some of the air out of the tires so it would be easier for Kyle to stay upright. We walked the bike up to the field at the top of the hill and talked about our plan of attack: the ESB method. "Kyle," I said, "ESB stands for Easy, Steady, Balance. If you can be easy in the seat, remain steady and calm, and balance the bike, you’ll ride." Kyle rode back and forth easily on the flattened tires, calling out "Easy! Steady! Balance!" as he rode. When our lesson was over, we walked the bike back down the hill. I took the path to the house and told Kyle to take the bike to the garage, where I’d help him put it away. The phone was ringing when I got to the house, and it was awhile before I was able to go back outside. As I walked to the driveway, I could hear Kyle talking to himself. "Easy!" he said. "Steady! Balance! Easy! Steady! Balance!" I peeked around the corner of the house, and there he was, riding in circles on our driveway. "Easy!" he said. "Steady!" And then he fell. Will he give up? I asked myself. Will he cry? He did neither. Instead, Kyle picked up the bike by the handlebars and got back on. "Easy! Steady! Balance!" he said as he pushed with his legs to get started and glided down the drive. Lord, when an old problem or a new challenge gets me down, remind me to take it easy, remain steady and maintain my balance.
By Ted Nace
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