Roody

A friend of mine, Ron, is a therapist at a county facility for juvenile offenders. One of his clients was a teen-aged girl. I don't know what she did to get in trouble with the law, but it seemed to Ron that this girl was trying to do better in life. She had found a job, but was in danger of being fired for poor attendance and lateness. She also missed some of her therapy appointments. Ron worried that in spite of her good intentions, she was headed for an unhappy and self-destructive life.

In talking with her, Ron learned that this girl depended on her mother to drive her to work and appointments. Unfortunately, the mother was a real screw-up. She didn't seem to understand the importance of helping her daughter to be punctual. She basically preferred to have the daughter stay at home to help her, the mother. Ron tried working with the mother on this issue, but to no avail. He wanted to help the girl buy a car, but she lacked the funds and her mother didn't want her driving anyway. So Ron hit on the idea of giving this girl a bicycle. He scrounged up a donated bike and found somebody to teach her how to ride safely.

I guess this girl really took to her new bicycle. She's been able to get to work and appointments on time since getting it. She feels a new sense of independence from her screwy mom. Also helping her self-esteem is the fact that she's lost weight thanks to the exercise of riding her bike. Ron said this girl will probably always be somewhat eccentric, and a bit of a loner. Her life may still turn out badly. But at least she seems to be very happy with both her bike and her new sense of independence and self-reliance.

Don't you think that's basically what it's all about for a lot of us?

wahoonc

Yep and it is one of the reasons I never turn down a free bike. Some of them may end up stripped for parts with the remains in the scrap pile, others will get rehabbed and sold for money to support the necessary new parts, the few remaining ones get donated to worthy causes, like Ron's client or one of the urban cyclists in my little town. I also give out inexpensive safety vests to them when I see them. So far I have seen several of them still wearing them which means they can be seen by motorists if they are paying attention.

Aaron

Buglady

What a great story. I'm hoping to become a counsellor myself, working with adolescents and young adults with learning difficulties. I've already started exploring some ideas around art/craft therapy and greenspace/nature therapy. I think adding bikes into that mix would work really well (fix a bike and then use it to get outside!). Many people with learning disorders do extremely well with hands-on activities and can use them to get the boost they need in self-confidence and self-efficacy.

le brad

+1.
If she needs a place to hang out other than work or with her screwy mom, your friend should hook her up with the local bike coop. If she really has taken to her new bike it really wouldn't hurt for her to learn how to maintain and repair it.

Artkansas 

Eccentric, a bit of a loner. No wonder she loves her bike. Sounds like me as a kid. I hope she keeps it up, and I hope she can log onto bike forums where she will find some sympathetic souls.

neilfein

A great story! One must continue to hope that things can be better.

I was a loner as a child, and loved my bike. It was institutionalized alone time! (Now I've turned into a people person, who'd've thought?)

dejinshathe

That's cool.

Bikes are a good, but often over-looked solution to a lot of things, it seems.

My brother is bipolar and his medication makes him prone to gaining weight. He was always a bit of a video-gamer/web-surfer/DVD watcher anyway, and when my Dad called in a mad panic that my brother would turn into some sort of chronically unfit couch-potato, I suggested they both buy bikes and get out to ride together. Now they enjoy rides together when they can, but even better; my brother can also take his often restless mind out into the neighbourhood, with time and space to think and getting some excercise as well. It's all good!

AStomper

I've got a close friend that is in the position of this girl, over wieght, in and out of juvy and a mother that just says she's a bad kid. Maybe I should try to get her riding her bike to get out.

Buglady

That kind of situation where the parents are unhelpful to the point of actually harming the kids just breaks my heart. Definitely encourage your friend to get out riding - it might not be her thing, but at the very least she will gain something by trying. It may help her break free from her mother. Good luck to both of you!

MrCjolsen

After 14 years of teaching (primary, elementary, middle and high school), I can tell you that it's the oldest story in the world. Every year I have at least one parent who, while not necessarily abusive or neglectiful, just doesn't realize that raising your kids takes priority over everything else. Our saying is "Someone needs to call that lady and remind her she gave birth ten years ago."

Teme

I gave my old MTB for one youth from neighbourhood. He had came to Finland as refugee and lived at aunt where was also 6 of his cousins. Usually he didn't get anything new and at that time he didn't have the bike and I had one unused.

Oh well... I had to do quite a lot of repairing to it and I should have asked him to work with me (or even do the work when I was just giving advices). It would have made the bike more "his bike". The lock were poor so finally the whole bike was stolen. The bike was easiest way for him to get away from home and his cousins.

Teme

gerv 

This is a great story. It makes me wonder why giving a kid a bike might not have been the first idea he came up with... I also wonder why many parents insist on buying gas-guzzling devices for their teenagers? A colleague of mine just bought a moped for her 15-year old and about a week later he was involved in a nasty accident with it. A bicycle would have been a cheaper, safer, healthier and all-around more satisfying solution.

gerv 

A second thought is how to donate bicycles? Are their any programs in your town?

Roody

In my town there's the Kid's Repair Project. Actually it's run by the 80 year old father of a guy I work with. He gets people to donate bikes. He doesn't just give them to kids. The kids have to earn their bikes. They do this by repairing that bike, or another bike. Adults (often homeless people) are trained to help the kids. The adults also learn bike repair skills. Everybody gains from the program.

wahoonc

We have guy similar to Roody's in our area. Generally known as "The Bicycle Man" Moses Mathis has been at it since 1990 an in the past 16+ years has given away over 10,000 bicycles. And does the same thing with computers. I donate money, parts and bicycles to him on a regular basis.

Aaron

Lamplight

Heck, that sounds like me now. I hope she continues to do well!

Roody

I was happy when Ron told me that one reason he thought of the bike "in the second place" was because he's seen how successful I've been at living carfree with a bicycle.

Bushman

awesome story, got any updates on the gal?

gerv 

That must be very personally gratifying... It's not often (at least in my case...) we can say that our thoughts and behavior can have a positive impact on other lives. I think it was Emerson who said a great thought is mirrored throughout the universe.