If you've ever been to the Communicycle in Midland, then you've probably met Gordon. He's one of the core volunteers at the Midland CC and recently shared this touching story with us:
"I arrived at the Midland CC shop early on a cold January evening, to get the place warmed up and to devise a plan of attack. I decided to start by finishing up a 16 inch bike that had been tying up a repair stand for a little too long. Not long after starting work on it, a boy came into the shop. He asked if he could get a bike. I told him he could earn one and asked if he wanted to help me finish the one I was working on. We introduced ourselves and went to work. We talked a little. I found out he was only 9 years old. Then things got interesting. Asking him to get a Philips head screwdriver I found out he didn’t know what one was. Showing him one he said ”that’s a positive screwdriver, the straight ones are negative screwdrivers” After that, the scoundrel started using big words on me! Getting the bike finished I asked him to take it for a test ride. I could see he was kind of tentative about riding. 'Can you ride a bike?' I asked. 'Well sort of.' ‘You are 9 years old and never learned to ride a bike?' He said, 'Do you know why I never learned?' 'No, why?' 'Cause I was too stubborn to learn!' I told him, 'well if you are stubborn enough not to learn, ya oughta be stubborn enough to learn!' Well that 16 inch bike was a little short for him so I told him to go pick out a bike. He would have none of that. He wanted the 16 incher. It was a wise decision. We went outside into that bitter cold evening. He got on that little bike. I could see he had enough sense and agility to control the bike and enough not to destroy stuff. He could coast a little but not pedal. I let him have at it. While the other kids and volunteers arrived, he kept working. After a good 1 ½ hours, on that cold night, the boy finally came back inside the shop and proudly said, 'I learned to ride.' Here's hoping that the warmer weather helps our paths to cross again soon."
