Learning to Lean

I bought myself a scooter the other day. A 125cc Suzuki Avenis, in ‘Batman’ black (According to Larry’s colleagues, she looks like something out of the Batman movies!)

I can already ‘hear’ the raised eyebrows and muscles tensing in concern for my safety. Not that I can blame you. Most of what I have ever heard about motorbikes is how dangerous they are. I point blank refused to allow my two children to drive one based on this very same fear.

So how did this little voice get inside my head begging me to buy a little scooter? I have absolutely no idea. But it would not stop!

“Wouldn’t it be cool just to jump on and drive to the gym whenever I want?” It said.

“Barely uses any petrol.” It continued.

“Means we won’t need another car. So less expensive, right?”

“Traffic is perfect in Paarl for a bike. Much safer than Johannesburg surely!”

And the voice won.

What struck me over the past couple of weeks learning to ride was how hard it was. I am shocked that someone (being the teenage me) who had ridden her Raleigh bicycle with no hands on the handlebars would find a twist-and-go scooter so bloody difficult to ride! I was a complete fish out of water for the first couple of outings. I thought I must be the dumbest or most uncoordinated person on earth. Even without any gears to attend to, I struggled to turn corners confidently. As a result, the joy factor plummeted, and the stress levels escalated.

Today, however, I had a good ride. It finally clicked (sometimes, you know, but you don’t know until you know if you know what I mean!) that my stress was causing the problem. The stress was causing tension and the tension meant I was not aligned with the bike as I should be. When you turn a corner, the bike wants to lean into it, and you need to lean with it. It doesn’t feel right if you don’t, as you have less control. And, as you have less control, you feel less in control, heightening your stress levels and creating even more tension.

I took myself into the quiet streets of my neighbourhood, concentrating on turns. Left, left, left, left. Back the other way. Right, right, right, right. The focus was on not overthinking, loosening my shoulders and trying to feel the bike while getting used to its weight. And it worked! Suddenly, the turns did not feel so daunting! I even took myself to the mall and bought myself a coffee to celebrate my newfound skill and independence. Don’t get me wrong, I am far from having learnt everything I need to know, but today I found the joy. Today, I felt confident. Today, I believe I could do it.

This happens in life all the time, and we always have a choice. When things become difficult, we can lean in to find the lesson or learn a new skill. We can also choose to lean out against the tide and endlessly struggle, and, of course, we can choose to get off the “bike” altogether.

Interestingly, any option we choose is a lesson all on its own!

Thanks for popping past

Have a great day!

Janine (J9) Nijs