Monday, March 21, 2005

Riding a bicycle...

Greetings to you this Monday Morning!!

I am sure most of you would agree that learning to ride a bicycle was avery exciting activity as children. Some of my earliest memories areassociated with this activity. I remember my elder cousin sisters helpingme. First they got me a small bicycle with "supporting" wheels."Supporting" wheels are wheels that are attached to the center of the mainwheel at an angle such that they will touch the ground if the bicycletilts to one side. The wheels supported me if required. Eventually I was comfortable riding that bike with supporting wheels until one of my sisters got them removed. I was scared to ride the bicycle without the supporting wheels, but she reassured me that she would hold on to thebicycle from behind and not let me fall. After some persuasion, I finally agreed and off we went. She ran alongside holding on to the seat of the bicycle, balancing me whenever I needed. I was soon enjoying this and a few rounds into this activity she just let go of the seat. I realized her absence immediately and it was quite unsettling. The result also was obvious. I went a few meters and "bang", I was lying flat on the ground with the cycle over me. I sure was upset. My sister let go of me when I was banking on her. She had let me down and Iwas annoyed with her.
It was only with time and age that I understood the importance of what she did. She let go of me not because she wanted me to fall but because she wanted me to ride. From a dependent and hesitant cyclist, she wanted me to become independent and skillful at riding the bicycle. She knew that Ihad to be on my own some time and she trained me for that.At most stages in life we take on one of the roles in the combination of amentor-mentee, a senior-junior, a supervisor-subordinate or a teacher-student. If you happen to be the senior remember that it is partof your responsibility to let go of your junior at the right time for his good and if you happen to be the junior, remember that someone you were banking on has let go of you NOT to make you fall but to make you ride; independently and skillfully.
Have a great week!!!

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