FLASHBACK FRIDAY!!!

I was about 10 years old and I didn’t have many friends – yet – in “the heights”, also known as Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles, CA. I was an outgoing kid, so not having friends was not in my vocabulary; right up there with being quiet, not getting in trouble, and not being a spoiled little punk.

What can I say, despite these characteristics, I was a cute kid – CHURCH!

I had grown up in and out of “the heights” since birth, however, my mother and I never really lived there (we eventually did, but this was later in life); my grandparents did. Since I was young, my grandparent’s never really let me venture too far. I’d play with my neighbors, which was cool, that is, until this one beautiful Saturday when I decided to be a rebel and sneak away.  You see, my mom had gone out the night before and whenever she went out with her friends; my grandparents’ house was the landing spot for me. I’ve got no complaints though, I loved visiting them.  If I wasn’t being spoiled by them, I would be out and about riding bikes with my buddy’s Chub Johnson or David Diaz -which brings me to that beautiful Saturday I was talking about.

I woke up Saturday, just like any other Saturday, I turned on my Nintendo, I believe I played “Kung-Fu”. I remember getting bored thinking I should get my bike ride on; there was one problem though, I didn’t have my bike at my grandparent’s house, I had left it at home.

FAIL!

Luckily, my friend David (who was 4 years older) had his bike and he let me borrow it; unfortunately though, his bike was an adult bike and it was hard for me to get on and off it. Any who, I hopped on and off I went down Griffin Avenue. I was about 15 houses down from my grandparent’s house when I saw these kids playing in their front yard. They looked like they were around my age, so I figured I would talk to them.  Well, I’m usually not shy, but for some reason on this occasion I was. I remember riding by several times, I jumped off curbs, rode fast, rode with no hands, I was a total nerd basically doing anything and everything to warrant their attention.

In retrospect, man I was such a “noob” using such lame tactics.  Ha! Ha!

Well, long story short – I got their attention, we became friends for years and Nelson, who was the guy I was closest to of the brothers, he and I from time to time would laugh about how we met. At this point, you are probably wondering what is so funny, so here it is. You see, after hours of riding back and forth I grew tired and figured I’m too chicken shit to just talk to them, I needed to do something to get their attention – and that’s when it hit me – literally!

That “brilliant” 10-year old brain of mine came up with the following:

I figured, I would try and “be cool” and jump off the bike just before I got to the front of the fence where they were hanging out at, then I would talk to them. It would look cool and it would be a “grand entrance” type of move. Well, the bike being too big for me posed a problem and as I got near the fence, I was still on the sidewalk passing their neighbors house approaching them, I made the move to jump off, but due to the awkwardness of the handle bars and the seat, I couldn’t get my right leg over the seat and the frame.

BAM!!!!!

Off the sidewalk, onto the neighbors grass and into the fence I went. Luckily the fence was high enough to where I didn’t fly over it; instead, I flew up over the bike – crotch onto the front of the handle bars – up over the handle bars, into the fence, and then I bounced off of the fence onto the neighbors grass. I remember it hurt like a mother, but I wasn’t going to cry – no way!

After laughing at me, one of the boys (Nelson) came up to me and asked if I was okay. The rest is history. Unfortunately, he and I have lost touch and I wish I could get back in touch with the guy.

::sigh::

Chub Johnson and Nelson, single handedly are responsible for some of my fondest memories as a child in “the heights”.

Well, at least since then, I’ve learned to communicate and to befriend people in less dramatic fashion and in less painful ways.

Thank goodness for that ‘eh?

(Image found at pat-aview)