Don’t go on the freeways

“Don’t go on the freeways,” my dad said to my mom when she first started learning to drive. She had immigrated to the United States and had only taken one or two driving lessons while in Hong Kong. While in a city that required no car, she never took it onto herself to learn. But once here stateside, it was impossible to trek from one point to another without a car. And without depending on someone.

So shortly after she got her license, she went on the freeways. Because it was faster. This story was told to my sister and me as we were growing up. And some of lesson was supposed to be instilled on us Don’t be dependent. Do things efficiently even if that means taking risks.

I have always been naturally afraid of big moving things. Baseball, basketball, tennis…I was good at dodging things (dodgeball), but not hitting anything because I would rather duck. I did learn how to drive though without being too afraid, but being more stressed out when people were in the car. But in other aspects in life, I do want to find the more efficient way even if that means I’ll have drop my current method (I hope).

And so in biking though. As I was biking out of Potrero Center, I just had to walk my bike. But I was jealous of another biker who naturally just biked with traffic sliding out of the parking lot easily onto 16th. I held my breath as I finally got onto 16th…then looked for traffic. Ok after this car, no wait after that car, well just wait… Why can’t it be easier? But then I remember what my mom did. Even though the freeways were probably big and scary to a novice driver and what’s more…an immigrant driver…she did it. Why hide in fear, when it’s better to embrace and accept it? What was my fear anyway? There’s the being hit of course. But really, it was the fear that cars would get upset at me as I blocked their way.

I decided. Screw it.

So I biked with traffic. The street had only two lanes and barely enough room for a shoulder. I biked in the middle of the lane, making the car wait until I could get up to speed.

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