50 – Let’s Ride

Albert has had his electric tricycle for a couple of weeks now and rides throughout the neighborhood at least twice a week. Because we’ve lived in the neighborhood for many years, he knows the neighborhood and can navigate it naturally.  Before the stroke, Albert was very outgoing and talkative which allows him to know most of our neighbors. As he rides, the neighbors wave at him and encourage him in this new endeavor and to recover.  

One day Albert rode to Walgreens and the gas station, about two miles, and came home with bags of goodies, mostly a variety of candy which we all consumed. His sweet tooth hasn’t changed. Skittles, Twizzlers, and Starburst are always available to anyone in need of a sugar fix. I decided then that I loved the trike.

I saw the joy on Albert’s face as he rode his trike and wanted to be a part of his joy.  I decided to go biking with him which was fine with him. We got on our bikes and set out to ride around the neighborhood, which has lots of flat land and plenty of hills. Albert chose the route as we rode. We rode up and down the streets looking at the scenery, smiling at each other, and enjoying each other’s company.

Albert rode easily up the hills as I peddled frantically. In my exhaustion, I noticed that Albert didn’t pedal at all. As he rode, he used the electronic trike as a vehicle, not as a way to get exercise. I knew he wanted the bike as a form of transportation and a way of asserting his independence, but I thought he also wanted it as a form of exercise. I was wrong.  Albert wasn’t thinking about exercise, that was my thinking. 

By the time that we finished our ride, I was sweaty and exhausted, and Albert was fresh and not winded at all. I decided that if I was going to ride with him again, I would be more strategic in our route with fewer hills and more flat stretches.  It’s been months since our ride and our second outing hasn’t happened yet.