Growing up as the only girl in a family with three brothers has both its benefits and negative sides. Being the only girl and the youngest child just enhances both the benefits and the negative side effects. As a young child, I grew up in a neighborhood with mostly boys. Older boys that were friends with my brothers. I was still too young to go to school, so everyday I sat outside and watched all the older kids ride up and down the streets on their bicycles. Both of my neighbors raced bikes, boy was this a tease! All three of my brothers had their own bicycles, and then there was little ol' me. Sitting and watching, with envy filled eyes until one day my mom got me my first bicycle!
I was so excited as I jumped on the pink and white bike, with its white tires and flairs on the handles and purple training wheels. I was a pro! I could ride all over, up and down the street, in a nearby parking lot! And I never fell! Not once! The bike just went wherever I wanted it to! It was the best day of my life! I went to sleep that night with dreams of bikes and flairs on handle bars, flowing so beautifully in the wind and looking forward to riding my bike again the next day!
When I woke up, I ate my breakfast and ran outside to ride my new beautiful bicycle, only to find it laying in the yard in front of my older brother with the training wheels ripped off like he owned the thing! He laughed an evil little laugh and picked up the bike and rode it away. I was crushed! I chased after him screaming and begging for him to come back with my precious bicycle!!! Only to have no response other than laughter and having to wait for what seemed to be forever for my bike to return. My brother returned with my prize trophy of a bike, slammed it on the ground and ran away still laughing. "What am I going to do with it now?" I cried, picking the bike up off the ground and getting on the seat. The flairs now full of dirt rattle on the sides with the handle bars, gripped by my shaking hands. I peddle and fall. Catch myself and try again. I peddle and fall again. And continued until I fell and could not catch myself and scraped my knee. I began to cry and ran in the house to find my father inside watching TV and none of my brothers around. My father came outside and put my training wheels back on so I could again claim my trophy as the best bike rider around and my brother was grounded for the week! It turned out to be a great day after all!