Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)

This morning, while I was checking email on the laptop and watching the kids play in my in-laws’ driveway, Kirstie stopped by to ask me a question.

“Dad, how do I stop if I’m going down a fast hill on my bike?”

Puzzled by the question I asked, “Well, what do you mean? Why do you want to know?”

“I just want to know what to do if I’m going down a fast hill and I can’t stop,” came the matter-of-fact reply.

“Well,” I began, “I guess if you try your brakes and they don’t work, then you would just try and get to the edge of the road and sort of lean over so you could fall off the bike on the side of the road. Or, if you could… maybe just jump off the bike.”

She was listening intently to all I was saying, and then when I stopped she just got back on her bike and began to ride away. About ten feet away she said a very cheerful and satisfied, “Thanks!”

I laughed and said, “For what?”

“Well,” she said, “Now I know what to do when I’m going down a fast hill on my bike!”