This is for all the parents out there who ever taught a kid to ride a bike. Although the end result is thrilling (watching your kid experience the freedom of pedaling solo is truly like nothing else), the hours you have to put in can be tedious. Plus all that hunching over really does a number on your back. (Full disclosure: it was my husband who did all the heavy lifting in this department for our two kids.)
Learning to unicycle takes a special kind of determination. I walked behind this father-daughter duo for several blocks; she never managed to make it more than two or three revolutions without falling off. Dad, for his part, kept his iron grip on both her hand and his cell phone. Perhaps he's not the model of parental attention but I give him full credit for being out there on a chilly Sunday, giving her a chance to learn a new skill, especially in a city where there are not a lot of venues for this sort of activity.
And if she doesn't make it into that classe préparatoire a couple of years hence, if she sticks with the unicycle, there's an open plaza in front of the Centre Pompidou just waiting for another street performer.
3 comments:
how cute ! I remember when my dad taught me how to ride a bike - I was so happy when I got it!
you've just reminded me of the horrific memory of learning how to ride a bike. Scraped knees, tears, yelling matches with my father... oh yes, a cherished memory from childhood. But a unicycle? That takes ambition.
Another multi-tasking dad.
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