My First Day at BYU

Tonight I gave my mountain bike that I have not ridden in years to Paul Ivan. As Brandy and I watched Paul ride down the street, I was reminded about why we purchased the bike and why almost immediately it started to gather dust.

We purchased the bike as transportation for me to and from BYU when I was a new student. At the time we were living in married student housing a few blocks from the football stadium. I remember being surprised on the first day of school at how fast I got going just cruising down a small hill near the stadium.

While I was still traveling at an impressive clip of speed, I made a decision to ride on the sidewalk. Before I entered a driveway near the stadium, I noticed that the lip on the lowered portion of the sidewalk was a little thick. But I didn't let that deter me.

I wish it would have.

My front tire hit the lip at an odd angle and it started sliding. I ended up taking a pretty good spill, breaking my glasses and getting a nice little bit of road rash on the left side of my face.

There was no way I was going to miss my first day of school, so I soldiered on. I remember limping through huge crowds between classes. I even had one of those golf carts that give visitors tours drive beside me for what seemed like the longest time. It was a humbling experience.

I'll never forget the shock on Brandy's face when we met up on campus.

That, I believe, was the last time I rode that bike to school. I'm happy to report that Paul Ivan's maiden voyage went much more smoothly.