Completely Okay

Last week I logged over 350 miles on my motorcycle -- riding to work 4 days out of 5, which is a new record. You would think that practice would make me more perfect, but while meandering through a new neighborhood this morning (the Upper Haight), I dropped the bike -- while traveling zero miles an hour -- at the corner of Java and Masonic. There was a blind corner to my left and a downhill stretch to my right. As I was cautiously easing out for a right turn, a car came around the blind corner. I put on the brakes to let it go by and realized too late that the bike was leaning over too far to the right.

There did not appear to be any damage to the bike, but I was struggling to get it upright on the slight incline when a mother of two young boys (watching from across the street) asked if I could use some help. Without a moment's hesitation, I said "Yes!" After making sure that the younger boy didn't follow her into the street, she walked over and helped me hoist it up and asked if I was okay. I said I was "completely OK," just inexperienced as a rider. I felt glad for the boys that they had a Mom who so readily helped strangers and only slightly embarrassed as I rode off into the fog and overheard the older boy asking his Mom, "Was she completely OK?"