It is a bit embarrassing, but I first discovered that I could ride a two-wheel bicycle when I was in sixth grade. My deficiencies in that realm did not stem from ineptitude with the handle bars, but rather from my unwillingness to try new things. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rang loudly in my ears. And since none of my arms and legs were broken as a result of bike riding, why fix this void in my life?
I was as stubborn indoors as I was out, particularly at the dinner table. On a diet of bland food (and only bland food), I devoured dry pasta, peanut butter sandwiches, and potato chips with gusto, drowning myself in carbohydrates. I had the proverbial fear of the unknown, and my heart was content to settle for the comfortable. That is, until peer pressure set in.
By sixth grade, my friends had grown privy to the fact that whenever we would bike to Wendy’s, I would always clasp onto their shoulders and balance on the back pegs. The excuse that I thought bicycling was dangerous, and that is why I never would ride on my own, only held for so long. Once I became ridiculed for my lack of cycling prowess, I focused steadfastly on teaching myself to ride a two-wheeler.
Similarly, my excuse that “I just don’t like that food” crumpled at the hands of my friends when they extracted from me that the sustenance in question had indeed never graced my palate. “What are you going to do at a business lunch, eat dry pasta?” I was once asked. These teases felt terrible, but I eventually learned that they were for the best.
I am proud to say that I have been biking far and wide for a decade now, and while I do maintain a few food restrictions, I will almost never be at a loss for an entrée on any given menu.
Maturation is a necessary process of life. Just as Facebook updates itself every so often (typically against our wishes), so must our tastes and lifestyle evolve. To progress is a natural facet of life. Moving forward requires leaving parts of you in your wake, however tough that may be to confront. This leads me to my next point: sometimes, teasing ain’t so bad.
For the record, there is a stark contrast between teasing and bullying. Bullying is a loathsome activity in which no party prospers. Teasing is playful, and often pokes fun at someone’s superficial shortcomings. These shortcomings may not be transparent to the person being teased, and only through these prods may a person gain cognizance of a flaw.
It doesn’t matter that I once broke my wrist while riding my bike. It doesn’t matter that I regurgitated the first frozen pizza I attempted to put down. It was indeed a large stepping stone in my life (the pizza, not the puke). What matters is that I got right back up on my bike and that pizza became my favorite food (real pizza that is, NOT those Tombstone charlatans that are reminiscent of pungent gym socks). What matters more is that I was on my way to no longer being a weird little kid.
In a 2011 New York Times Op-Ed, Columnist David Brooks argued that human thought processes are inherently flawed. Our thoughts and actions are perpetually incomplete, and we must rely upon others to guide us to more rational conclusions. And just as we bounce ideas off of our peers in order to derive the best possible conclusion, we must also throw (friendly) suggestions at our peers so that we can be the best possible people. These are people that eat food with taste and ride bikes. They are people that take pride in self-improvement and recognize that there is always room to grow. So when your friend or boyfriend or girlfriend pokes fun at the socks that always accompany your sandals, realize that his or her banter may very well be justified.
Do you believe maturity is just for old people? Tell Zac about it at zpestine@wisc.edu.
