Memoir

/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.

---

To all those who’ve joined me in Memoir Monday since day 1, we’ve now done this 28 times! Time flies when you’re having fun. There’s no single physical activity that has added as much value to my life as cycling. I intend to keep riding as long as I physically can which, God willing, will be many more decades to come. I hope you enjoy this ride down memory lane. As always, thanks for your participation.

Memoir Monday has grown so much that I won’t be able to comment on everyone’s posts anymore (and get my own work done) but I’ll still be supporting your posts with reblogs, votes, and shares on my other social media accounts (X, Facebook, etc.).

For all of those who’ve regularly participated in Memoir Monday - keep going, you’re making great progress in chronicling your very own life story for future generations to enjoy.

For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.

---

Now for next week’s Memoir Monday prompt:

How did you learn to ride a bicycle?

---

My answer:

---

I clearly remember the moment I learned how to ride a bicycle. Up until that exact moment balancing on two wheels seemed like an insurmountable challenge to four year old me. For weeks, my father tried pushing me down the street on the bike but the moment he let go I would wobble and lose my balance. I can remember being worried I was going to let him down and I think the added pressure of that made it more difficult for me to learn.

One summer day I was in a childhood friend’s driveway. The driveway was long and slightly sloped. We took turns rolling down that driveway on our bikes for hours. With gravity doing the work it was easier to practice balancing. Suddenly, it was like a switch was flipped and I was riding on my own! I was so excited that I kept trying and lengthening the time I could stay upright. Before the end of that afternoon I was peddling and balancing at the same time. This taught me the value of persistence.

Learning to ride that 20” Huffy BMX bike was my first ticket to freedom and started to expand my world, little by little. I feel like I grew up on bikes. My friends and I practically lived on our bicycles during summer vacations from kindergarten until we got our driver's licenses at sixteen years old.

My father and I went on countless long rides starting when I was about twelve years old. We'd wake up before the sunrise and ride for twenty or thirty miles from our house on the east side to Ohio State University's campus. I was a thin, sickly kid with asthma but I credit these long rides with my overcoming childhood asthma and getting stronger and healthier in general. My dad and I really bonded on these rides. To this day I think about how much I enjoyed this time with him.

I've owned several bikes in my life. I hand-built an ebike using a Schwinn frame in 2010 but the ebike technology just wasn't quite "there" yet. The range of this bike was no more than ten miles so it wasn't very reliable or practical.

In 2021 I bought a Dutch ebike from a company called VanMoof and I couldn't believe how far the technology had evolved.

Although the ebike was fun, I quickly learned that I missed the exercise and simplicity of a traditional peddle bike.

Now, I own a 1958 Raleigh Sports and a Brompton folding bike. These two bicycles tick all the boxes and are the perfect balance for me. The Raleigh,I've restored over the past ten years and is the most comfortable and capable bike I've ridden.

The Brompton folds down to the size of a carryon suitcase and I can take on an airplane or fold up and put in a car with no issues. It's really a feat of engineering.

Four decades later I'm still riding and the joy of it has never diminished. Worries and troubles of adulthood seem to disappear while riding. Cycling has added more to my life than any other single physical activity. For me, life is simply better on a bike.

---

Rules of Engagement

1. Please reblog this first post and share on other social platforms so we cast the widest net possible for this initiative;
2. Pictures paint a thousand words. Include pictures in your posts if you have them;
3. Answer each Memoir Monday prompt question in your own post. If possible, the prompt question will be published in the week prior so you'll have the entire week to answer and publish your own post;
4. Have fun with it, don't worry about getting behind, or jumping into the project at any point after we've begun; and
5. Lastly, be sure to include the tag #memoirmonday.

It's that simple.

At the end of the next twelve months we'll have created something immensely valuable together. It's so important to know our "whys" in life and there's no better way to do that than this.

Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories. I can't wait to read them.

Be well and make the most of this day. I want to sincerely thank all of the participants thus far. I've really enjoyed reading your posts!

~Eric Vance Walton~

(All photos are original.)

---

Growing weary of the ads and divisiveness on mainstream social media? If so, why not try Hive? Click on this link to sign-up and join our growing global community.

Let’s Keep In Touch

www.ericvancewalton.net