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The writings and thoughts of Bill Elliott are not only vocalized, but can be found here in written form, too. Sample Voice File
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Bill Elliott posted on September 07, 2005 14:05  
| I took them off. It was time, you know. I mean... you had been riding your bike with them on for 4-5 months now, and I could just tell that you were getting too trusting of them being on there... catching you as you lost your balance to one side or the other. And, they needed to come off... only... I was a bit reluctant to take them off for fear of the probable crashes and falls you would experience. Still... they did need to come off. It is not healthy to use training wheels for too long. They are meant to ‘assist’ you with learning to balance... only long enough to give you a feel of balancing that bicycle for a while... the feel of turning... the feel of stopping... of changing directions, and even going in circles until you are SO dizzy!! |
| All that, without the added fear of falling and crashing too! |
| So... I took them off... and I stood behind you there with that bicycle... and firmly grasped the back and bottom of the seat for you... steadying the bicycle... and you started out peddling... and wobbling a bunch... squawking at the fear that you might fall. But, I was running alongside you... still holding firmly to the seat and keeping the bike balanced... yet, gently letting you take control as I felt you getting your own balance... |
| Still... I was running alongside... alert... hoping... fearful... excited for you... all at the same time!! |
| Then... I was able to let go of the seat completely... still running alongside... and stooped over there... with my hand RIGHT there at the back of the seat... Your little legs peddling feverishly... you were squealing with excitement now... a little mixture of fear... but, more excitement. And then, I quit running alongside you... and watched you ride away from me... all wobbly still... but, balancing on your own and really, really enjoying this new experience now... really happy... really laughing... smiling from ear to ear. As you made this wide, sweeping turn... all wobbly still... I could see your face now... focusing and working to keep it all together. That was a sight to behold... seeing you crossing another threshold in your life... seeing you accept the challenge, then begin developing the skills to manage one of the many tasks you will face in your life. And as time has passed, your experience and capabilities with the bicycle were no longer a concern... a question... a fear of mine. For you have conquered it... have demonstrated your abilities... your mastery. |
| And I see you now... some 15 years later... and I can not help but reflect on how identical this new threshold of yours is with that Training Wheels one back in that special cul-de-sac.... How very similar.... In so many ways... |
| See... back in the days when you were learning to ride that bike, I was afraid... afraid for the pain you would surely endure with this new-found freedom... the fear that would streak through your body when you FIRST realized, then experienced, an awful and painful crash to the ground... See... as a parent, it hurts SO much to think of the hurt you ‘could’ experience... and I want to protect you from that... or, at least, to be there to help you balance... to help you experience ‘the ride’ a little bit before you take on the whole bicycle experience... get a little more time to practice with some supervision... with some coaching... with some protection... some wisdom... and certainly, with some strong, loving, and caring arms to catch you when you fall... to avert the inevitable, if possible... to let you feel the glee of this exciting ride a bunch more BEFORE it is joined with the potential danger, pain, and fear. |
| But, eventually over the next few days from that first ‘freedom flight’ my fears and worries diminished more and more... I could see that you were becoming very good at this newly introduced skill... this newly introduced ‘management’ of your life. And, I finally could go back into the garage... or the house... and go about my own business without needing to stay out there.... Running alongside... worrying over ‘every’ turn... every stop and start... every time you peddle. Because, enough time had passed.... I had witnessed enough occasions where you proved you had this new skill under control... you had it within your grasp, and you were approaching it with a responsible, and practical posture... with an awareness that even though it was new, you were growing confident with it all. |
| So... I see you now going through another transition in your life... another occasion to take off those Training Wheels... to begin to experience a new freedom in your life, and begin applying a new set of skills... And, now I am afraid all over again. It’s actually been happening all your life, and I didn’t really realize it until I saw you two sitting up there... husband and wife... all married... all grown up. Well.. ‘more’ grown up. And, I feel myself reaching for the back of your seat again. I mean, this new skill... this new venture in your life is not one you have ever done before... to share your life SO personally with someone else... |
| See... I have not felt like you needed any real support, or protection... or assistance with ‘balance’ in quite a while now. We had removed ‘your’ training wheels quite some time ago... And, I could go back into the ‘garage of my life’... to the ‘house of my life’... to the other things in my life that needed attention... without really worrying that you were going to crash. You were a bunch more mature now... you have been demonstrating responsibility, maturity, and even balance in your life... and, that you had control over your life... and were ‘peddling along gleefully’ with it all... just enjoying and living!! And I know that your mate is in the exact same place... well balanced... well skilled... fully aware of the responsibilities facing you two... and you do not need Training Wheels for each of your lives anymore... |
| But, I’m a parent... and I can not HELP but worry... because I do not want you to crash... to have pain... to feel the hurt that I know will accompany the fall. See... us parents are a bit psychic!! I know it seems like we are more psychotic, but we have a knack for ‘seeing ahead’ and looking out for the things you are doing... and what may be the end result of what you are doing... and that is what freaks us out... we fear for your crash... for your fall... we FEEL that fall... we FEEL that crash!! Not because we are pessimistic... not because we do not trust you... not because we do not have faith.... But, solely because we have ‘been’ there!! We DID crash... we DID fall... we DID hurt... and we know how badly that all feels... and are wanting to be sure you have the very BEST start as possible... to enjoy more GLEE before some of the ‘inevitable’ happens... before some of the ‘probable’ happens... |
| Not being fatalistic... just protective. Just concerned... just as prepared as possible to be sure you have all the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to succeed at this new ‘bike ride’ of your life. |
| So... there you sit... all skilled with the various bicycles in your life... the two of you... well prepared... well thought out... well planned. Only now... you are no longer JUST on a single bicycle... riding around the cul-de-sac... popping wheelies... doing jumps... and many, many other things you can do on a bicycle... |
| ...alone!! |
| Now... you two have just jumped on the Tandem Bike of life... and while you two ‘still’ remain individuals... and you ‘still’ maintain those ‘by myself’ skills to ride the various bikes in your life, this new tandem bike is a bit different... |
| See?? |
| It is a lot longer... it handles MUCH slower than that individual bike of yours... Some ONE person MUST take the front... the lead... and the other must agree to it... while the other one MUST trust and be in the back. Sure, you can and should switch places once in a while, based on your strengths... your preferences... your calling in the Lord. You know... take turns being the lead on things... keeping the balance... guiding this new bicycle of yours... being SO careful with it... because NOW if you fall, you also cause your partner to fall too... NOW if you crash, you cause your partner to crash too... NOW if you fail, you cause your partner to fail too... |
| But, that is where us parents all come in... we are right there all over again... with our hands right there on that back seat... helping to balance... helping to ensure you get a good decent chance to enjoy as much of the thrill of this new experience as possible... in a safe, guarded, and protective way... to help be sure you have your balance before we are relaxed enough to go back into the ‘garage of our lives’... or go on with our other tasks and not feel as though we should be there... running alongside... at the ready in case you wobble a bit... in case you show signs of faltering... of potentially crashing altogether... for we want YOU to succeed at this... to do SO much better at this than WE did... to enjoy SO much more than we have enjoyed.... And ultimately, my dear little ones... to learn to pass this entire experience on to the little ones that will come along in your lives, too. |
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| May the wind be at your backs! |
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