It happened on a beautiful autumn morning.
The ground was littered with leaves:
yellow, orange, red, and brown.
Some leaves had been raked into large piles,
others were still scattered across the asphalt.
I was with my mother and it was my first time
riding my bike without training wheels.
My mother was nervous but I was excited.
I fell a few times at first
But no pain, no gain.
Within half an hour, I thought I had mastered the art of bike riding.
My ego inflated, I wanted to go faster.
My need for speed was insatiable.
My mother expressed her worries but I paid no attention.
“Slow down!” she yelled.
Harder I pedaled.
I was going down a *****. Gravity was on my side.
Faster, I didn’t want to stop.
Faster, I raced across the inclined asphalt.
Faster and faster I went.
When suddenly,
Panic.
My excitement turned to fear.
Faster, I felt myself lose control.
Faster, I forgot how to brake.
Faster, my mom ran, trying to catch up to me.
Faster
and faster.
Until finally,
CRASH!
I’d hit a concrete parking block the bottom of the *****.
The force of the impact sent me flying off my bike
where I landed miraculously…
into a soft pile of freshly raked leaves.
Leaves flew everywhere
like a clutter of celebratory fireworks congratulating me for my near-disaster.
I felt sorry for whoever had to rerake them that day.

10/27/14