Thievery Thursday

I got a bright shiny beautiful neat blue bicycle for my birthday!
It was love at first sight. From the metal basket hanging from the handle bars, to the synthetic leather banana seat, to the personalized license plate on the back fender (My Bike), to the two wheels which were fully inflated, to the kickstand that moved with a slight push of my foot. Love.
I had to take it for a spin. I just had to. I didn't care if there was cake waiting. I didn't care if all of my friends wanted me to open the (dumb) gifts they brought. I HAD to ride that bike.
Off I went on what would be the most life changing bike ride in American History. I rode down my street, then past my school, made it to the big office where my Dad works, turned a left and ended up on a freeway. I took that until it seemed that I had to either get onto another freeway or turn around and go home. Well, let me tell you, that bike was so much fun to pedal and steer, that I just had to keep going.
I ended up becoming a part of a cross country cycling team for the next 3 or 7 years of my life.
You may be wondering what is so "life changing and important to our history" in that?! Well, I can answer that question with a question, "How different would your life be if you lost the entire left side of your body because you veered into highway traffic?" I heard that happened to a friend of a friend of a cycling buddy's cousin. Made me give up the sport right there on the spot. I had to sell my bike and hitchhike home, and start Middle School, as a 16 year old, which made me very popular because I could drive. Man I loved Middle School.