Security is an Illusion!

Do you remember when you gave up your security blanket or teddy bear or whatever it was that you thought kept you safe? I learned at a fairly young age that life isn't always as secure as we think it is -- that it is tricky and fleeting.

Yesterday, as I was out for my daily walk, I passed two of the most adorable girls who were riding bikes with their dad. They both had training wheels on their bikes and all of a sudden I had a flashback moment to when the training wheels came off my bike. That's not hyperbole, I'm talking literally. I can't remember exactly what age I was but I imagine it was around the age of 5½. My training wheels came off in a rather unusual way. What had happened was: I was flying down the hill of the street I was living on (sans bike helmet, of course because no one wore helmets back in the '70s), secure in the knowledge that I had 4 solid wheels under me. Unbeknownst to me though, the training wheels on my bike had loosened up and were about an inch or two from the pavement. Goodness knows how long I was riding around like that, but my father noticed that the wheels weren't actually doing anything so he removed them and off I went. There was no fanfare, no major celebration, just life going about its merry way. But it was also a lesson that I learned quickly about how many things in life can be just an illusion. 

Yesterday's memory helped clarify some things for me. It reminded me that nothing in life is safe. Something for me to remember when I'm freaking out over why I don't have a fall placement or any other of a number of things in life which I think are invulnerable. Just a little reminder that just when you think your life is secure, the training wheels may just come off.  (Yes, that was hyperbole.)  The only thing you can truly count on in this world is yourself.