Look at the face of this five-year-old, so proud. Like the owner of the whole world!
This little red bike made a huge change in my life. Suddenly I was a big girl, with a whole new perspective on the world around me.
I could speed like never before – forget about the little crashes and wounds which I tried to hide from adults. I didn't want unnecessary limits on this new freedom.
Of course, life in a small town in Eastern Finland in the 1960s is not to compare with other circumstances, other times, and other cultures. But I still think, that the possibilities that my red bike and the responsibility it involved, meant a lot for my personal development and my whole later life.
My independent world became wider and extended kilometers in every direction. I got to know more people. I made longer trips and visited friends’ homes, beaches, and sports events.
I have to confess; my children didn’t enjoy the same freedom. That wasn’t due to my overprotective nature only, but also a result of living in a bigger town – and the thirty years time gap.
Nevertheless. Feeling free is an important feeling for a child, too. As long as these excursions are carried out in the right surroundings and with the support and guidance of responsible adults, they prepare children to meet later challenges.
A suitable amount of red bike freedom is good for building healthy self-confidence!
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