I remember when I outgrew my Huffy Stingray-copy. My best friend had recently gotten a Mongoose BMX. I felt a lot of pressure to get a BMX, even though I didn't think it was really the kind of bike I wanted.
There was a girl a few grades ahead of me who would come over to watch my younger sister when my parents were out. She had a "10 speed," as we used to call them.
It was clear to me that there was some sort of "pecking order" at work here. My parents got to drive their car places and do things. The sitter got to be in charge while they were gone, and paid for it. I got to leave the house and ride my bike with my friends. My sister had to stay home.
I decided that a 10 speed seemed like the kind of bike that would say to the world, "I'm no 20in wheel kid anymore; I'm ready for the rights and privileges due those of us who bear the awesome responsibility of selecting our own gear ratios as we pedal!"
So despite the peer pressure, I decided I was going for gears. I remember it took a good bit of patience to get a bike that would work for me, but I got my bike, and my gears (three of them, as I recall).
This weekend, we'll be having our anniversary ride that starts at our current location and open house at the new space. The ride will include a "history of the co-op" tour.
Thinking about the history of the co-op gets me thinking about growing up. Growing up means getting new stuff. It also means giving up some of the old stuff. All of this can mean improvements. That doesn't mean that growing up doesn't also mean some hard times.
Here's a video of someone a lot of us may recognize reminding us of some of these very same things:
What is a bike you remember outgrowing?
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