Bringing Kids Joy, One Bike at a Time
I want you to take a moment and think about your first bike. Can you remember it? I can remember mine, it was that pretty bubble gum pink, with white rubber handles, and I rode it, even when I outgrew it.
I remember that feeling of first getting the training wheels off, and I must say, I still recall that feeling as one word: FREEDOM! It was amazing to be able to get on this two-wheeled machine and take off anywhere, often outrunning your parents, siblings, or the big kid next door who wanted your candy :).
Mr. Tottress, a retired veteran, collects spare cans to help pay for patches and other small repairs, so that kids who otherwise wouldn't have a bike can get one for free. I see this man as a giver of dreams, and maker of imaginations. I know that feeling of me having my first bike; it is one that will last with me for a lifetime, and its also an important milestone for most of us.
He also teaches kids how to fix their own bikes, a valuable skill, and also added amazing value, which adds to kids having even more independence.
In a place like North America, where the haves and have-nots are divided by visible and invisible lines, it's great to see that no act, no matter how big or small, that helps children, gets noticed.
It is importance for us also to acknowledge that while Mr. Tottress is giving kids free bikes (which cost nominal amounts to repair), what he's actually doing is giving kids hopes, and helping them to create memories.
Memories related to riding around their neighborhoods, or maybe even a local park, and feeling that freedom and happiness that comes from having something of their very own.
Here's to more do-gooders, as I have hope and faith there are many more out here.
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Image Credit: Google Images
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