Bikes and Bars

What men need is adventure. With out adventure we will not become all that the Lord has intended for us to become. To eliminate further confusion when I say men, I mean boys and men. When I say women, I mean girls and women.

Men learn typically through their surroundings and hands on application. The experience is what we are after and the ability to say: "I've done that." Unfortunately, this is where our culture in the USA is losing ground. This is why typically men do not do as well in school. Have you ever watched boys as they enthusiastically read every word from a book and sit in their chairs drooling, hanging on every word that their teachers say in school? I doubt it, more often than not, boys are bored with school. This is because they were not created to learn in this way. They often lose interest in school because they are not encouraged by their fathers, but also because they'd rather be doing something exciting that they can tell their friends about.

For example, I remember a time growing up on the 300+ acre dairy farm when my brother and I had the best idea. School had just been let out for the summer and my younger brother and I had just got BMX bikes as part of a reward for doing well in school. BMX bikes just started getting to be "in." My brother and I found every magazine we could about racing our bikes in the dirt, doing tricks, and most of all jumps. If you could do a "jump" and land it from a ramp, we both knew that we had arrived as men. Every good man recognizes another man for a smooth and graceful jump. So we brain stormed about how to accomplish and make a jump.

We scouted out all the materials that we had on the farm, made inventory, and then planned how we would accomplish this feat. First and foremost, we needed to make sure that we created a safe environment to test and try this out. This meant we had to wait until mom and dad were not home just in case we made fools of ourselves. We waited until we knew mom and dad had to go to town. Back in those days, we didn't need parents to babysit. My brother and I were old enough (8 & 7). We found this 55 gallon oil drum and propped it up at the bottom of a hill next to our garage, then proceeded to carry a long 15 foot ramp that was pre-made for just such a purpose (NOT). My brother and I knew that to make the jump work we needed a long ramp and therefore propped this ramp up on the oil drum. Now it was time for the test.

My brother said you go first. Now understand, that I was the older brother, so I had to go first or he would call me chicken. Besides, I needed to be able to show him how a professional BMX biker jumped his bike. I peddled as fast as I could down this hill. By the time I realized what I was doing and saw the obstacles on the other side of the jump it was to late. I launched off that ramp like a rocket. There was farm machinery all around, some of which were close to 20+ feet tall. I found myself flying above all of the machinery. My next and most terrifying reality was yet to come. I had to come back down and I did not have a ramp to ease the descent. I fell straight down. I landed so hard that I bent my bike wheels and my feet fell off the pedals. Mama-mia!!!

For those of you that don't know, BMX bikes back in those days: 80's had a metal bar with some small padding around it. Let's just say, their definatley was not enough padding. Now that was adventure!!! I learned something about gravity that day that I'll never forget. Not to mention I get to hear all of the great stories told over and over by my brother and have a fond memory that I'll carry forever. This is how men learn. The HARD way.

See what you have to look forward to with your boys! By the way, I was able to have children and have three of my own strapping young proteges following in my footsteps.