Ride like the Wind

It's a sunny Spring Sunday afternoon.  The kind we used to experience before the wondrous effects of global warming.  I'm sitting on my front porch re-reading Stephen King | On Writing for the second time.  

As I glance up from my new round glasses that I happily picked up in Florence last year, I can't help notice a man teaching his son to ride a bike.  

Little Johnny didn't seem to require any guidance at all from his over protective dad.  As he raced across my view,  I overhead his dad bellow: "Don't get to proud of yourself!" 

I sat there puzzled and thought to myself, 'Why wouldn't this little road runner not want to feel a huge sense of pride?' 

I felt like cheering him on: "ride like the wind...Pony Boy!"  

It got me thinking.  Before the age of 4, we're told we can be and do anything we set our minds to.  Then as we start to find 'our voice' our proud parents begin to invoke the power of NO into our cerebellum. 

By the time we hit grade 6, little Johnny that used to ride like the wind suddenly feels as if he needs to stay firmly anchored to the ground.  

I've often said that we've forgotten how to Dream Big.  We are conditioning generations of conformists who sadly believe they need to ride safely between the lines.  

I say, ride like theirs no tomorrow Johnny for tomorrow is never promised.  Dream Big with an energy of unbridled possibility.  Do it all with pride and unabashed enthusiasm.