When I learned
how to skate
and ride a bike,
one went fast,
one took time.
In childhood days
I yearned to glide
like the mouse at a show
in the city one night.
I have watched my brothers
swivel through streets,
wishing I could join them
instead of sitting at the backseat.
First, I was taught to ride a bike
in which many tried to teach me.
In any case, I was always falling down.
Both of my legs sustained a lot
of bruises and injuries.
From then on, mother forbade me
to mount another bike.
Thinking I would be safe
and would no longer be scarred.
It wasn’t until later
in a broken down bike,
when I was on my own
poised on top of a slope,
I lifted my feet off the ground.
Counted the seconds
‘til I moved forward
without ever falling down.
It wasn’t long before
I could push the pedals
One by one.
Skating, on the other hand,
was taught seasons after I grew.
This time though, I attempted
to try something new.
I tried to teach myself
based on the books and pictures I knew.
Alas! After two lapses groping
on the sides of the rink,
I finally called in a coach to assist.
Holding my hands, she held me towards
the center of the ring
and taught me to march ahead,
find the balance from within.
When I finally took a stance,
only then did she show me
how gliding was done.
With feet not too far apart,
slide in opposite direction
one by one.
The day I learned how to bike
and glide a little bit gracefully on ice,
years have passed in between.
But both speak of the same need
for balance, for continuity.
Our youth may have called for some
self-efficacy
but to grow is to need others in this
journey.
How we can be dependent on one another
yet at times need to be alone on our own!
