Once upon a time, maybe 17 years ago, in a small village in the UK, two twin brothers D and T were given matching blue bikes. D and T (Wills' Godfathers) are now strapping, handsome young men who tower over me, have graduated college and are making their way in the world. The blue bikes and their family moved to California about the same time we did in 1997.
D and T soon grew out of the two blue bikes which were passed on to younger bro N, now also taller than me and at college. Once N had out grown said bikes they were passed on Ads.
As a consequence of an unfortunate incident shortly after Ads took ownership and before the use of the gears was correctly mastered the two bikes had to be merged into one and a pile of spare parts. Ads happily rode the blue bike until yes, you've guessed it he moved onto bigger things.
The old blue bike, now getting on in years but much loved and much used was passed onto Wills with whom it arrived in India:
Sadly, when Wills' knees started hitting the handlebars it was time for him to get a new bike, his first really 'new' bike and the Towers family's need for the old blue bike was done.
And the blue bike trashed and forgotten? No way. It is now in possession of our driver's son who apparently is a very happy owner and has been riding it around his neighborhood from dawn to dusk, pausing only to go to school and sleep. So the old blue bike at age 17 still has many useful years ahead, is now with it's fifth owner, its third family, on its third continent and as well as having stories to tell is an excellent example of recycling (no pun intended)!!
We are a 'hand me down' family. I have always had a thing for charity shops (tho' I don't always fess up to this when asked where I got a specific gently used item) and Ads has always liked clothes handed down from friends as they are so much softer than new ones. Wills being the younger, by definition has more than his share of used stuff. I love it when Ads' old clothes got passed off to someone else for a few years and then handed back to me for Wills. I hate waste. I hate seeing anything trashed unless it is seriously beyond repair and reuse.
The old blue bike is just a small example of reusing, repairing and recycling. In India it is much easier to repair. It is also just as easy here to pass anything on to a second/third... home as it is to trash it. In the West I think we just need to try a bit harder!
Thanks to J, the original mother of the old blue bike(s), for the idea of blogging its story!
D and T soon grew out of the two blue bikes which were passed on to younger bro N, now also taller than me and at college. Once N had out grown said bikes they were passed on Ads.
The old blue bike, now getting on in years but much loved and much used was passed onto Wills with whom it arrived in India:
And the blue bike trashed and forgotten? No way. It is now in possession of our driver's son who apparently is a very happy owner and has been riding it around his neighborhood from dawn to dusk, pausing only to go to school and sleep. So the old blue bike at age 17 still has many useful years ahead, is now with it's fifth owner, its third family, on its third continent and as well as having stories to tell is an excellent example of recycling (no pun intended)!!
We are a 'hand me down' family. I have always had a thing for charity shops (tho' I don't always fess up to this when asked where I got a specific gently used item) and Ads has always liked clothes handed down from friends as they are so much softer than new ones. Wills being the younger, by definition has more than his share of used stuff. I love it when Ads' old clothes got passed off to someone else for a few years and then handed back to me for Wills. I hate waste. I hate seeing anything trashed unless it is seriously beyond repair and reuse.
The old blue bike is just a small example of reusing, repairing and recycling. In India it is much easier to repair. It is also just as easy here to pass anything on to a second/third... home as it is to trash it. In the West I think we just need to try a bit harder!
Thanks to J, the original mother of the old blue bike(s), for the idea of blogging its story!
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