The Day That Dad Popped A Wheelie

In my "growin' up years", bicycles were the preferred mode of transportation. No Skateboards or Scooters for us! Besides the fact that we lived on a DIRT ROAD, which was not commodious to skateboard or scooter riding; there was a certain manly stigma associated with riding a bike.

I was still in the "slightly less manly" tricycle stage when we lived on the farm at County Line. My older brother Ralph, however, had already graduated from "Tri" to "Bi" so Dad and Mom purchased him a brand spankin' new Bike!

If I remember correctly, it was a hot, muggy summer evening, when Dad decided to "strut his stuff'. Ralph had been riding around the back yard at the farm house for a while, when Dad posed him the question... "Ralph, can you pop a wheelie??"

Now... Knowing my brother like I do, I would say that "wheelie popping" had already been attempted. And I am also sure that he attempted to perform the feat for Dad.

It must have fallen way short of Dad's expectations. Because the next thing out of his mouth was "Here. Let me show you how to do that!"

So... My Dad climbs on the bike.

You know how, when you're young, everybody is old? At this time, in the late 1960's, my Dad was old. At least in his middle thirties. I had never seen my Dad on a bicycle... And I don't believe I ever saw him on one again...

Dad sashayed around the yard while Ralph and I watched with anticipation for the big wheelie. I think Mom was just watching with with a sense of foreboding...

On one of his trips around the yard, Dad must have figured that it was Show Time! He pulled up on the handle bars of the bike, pulled the front wheel off the ground and Popped A Wheelie!

....Only the "Wheelie" kept "Popping"! The front wheel kept coming up, up, up... Until Dad slid off the back of the banana seat and hit the ground, Ker Thud! Right on his Bohunkus!!

Now Ralph and I knew better than to laugh. But Mom had no such inhibitions. While she was running over to see how badly Dad was hurt, she was laughing, snorting, giggling and trying to act concerned, all at the same time! Ever been there?!?

After we found out that the only thing really damaged was Dad's pride, we all had a good laugh!

In the next few days, a patch of dead grass appeared in the yard... In close proximity to where my Dad performed his one and only bicycle exhibition. Now I'm sure it had nothing to with my Dad's derriere hitting the terra firma with the force of bunker buster bomb...

But it was forever a reminder to our family, of "The Day That Dad Popped A Wheelie"!!!

*I'm pretty sure that the bike Ralph is riding in the picture above, is the one that Dad popped his wheelie on. And...this picture is taken at the Conklin House, at Junction Hill, in the summer of 1969.