How many of you have taught a dude to ride a bike?

And so on and so forth. Care to share? i recall Nightlight (right?) wishing there were more BMs posted here, as that is what Nightlight thinks this forum is for most. Am i recalling accurately? So i thought i'd try walking in that idea. Dudes! All of this friendship with them was PLATONIC! i was still a 'virgin' myself (til age 23 with a guy, and 28 with a woman!), after all. And had already put myself into the therapy i trusted (this is when i was "at war with myself", before i stumbled across NAMBLA) so to "defeat" my sensual urges. i was simply seeking to "get a handle on" what i had been led to believe, at that time, was categorically Bad. i spent about 8 years pouring my heart out to a profession (and several docs) that proves to be not really about "science"! So deep was my Trust of Oz. i taught a few young dudes how to ride a bike, btw! For one dude, i tried to get his father to teach him, but he refused. Needless to say, i sure helped those dudes feel a bit more LIBERATED! i was always trying to get the parents of the dudes i befriended back when i was 18-21 or so (like 40-some YEARS ago! Goddess-damn!) to go with their kids and i to various outings. We made $ via car-washes and even a "raffle" of some of the x-mas gifts i'd gotten but didn't want! So we'd have enough to go dune-riding, inner-tube-floating, or just to get some pizza as a group. These dudes were all from rough backgrounds who i happened to meet when i was going to college in the area. At first, playing kickball with them in the lot near their homes. And then meeting some of the families. One father was a Vietnam vet who'd seen combat and was off-the-deep-end towards his son so much that his son, age 12, told me that he "hated" his father. i used to sit, more than once, for long hours listening to the man's macho stories. And was actually able to get him to drive us to a inner-tube-float destination, once! And also took his son hiking in a small group of other dudes from time to time! One time i was hiking with just him, somehow (if memory serves) and we were resting and fireworks began going off in the distance. And i fantasized about kissing him, but never followed thru. This dude was a gay-acting young dude when i met him and my heart went immediately out to him. i now recognize that his father was seeking to "toughen" his son up by constantly putting him down and ordering him around. But at the time i didn't have that awareness. i used to lead regular hikes "down the tracks" for miles. We even went hiking in the cold of winter (these guys truly sought to "get out of the house"!). Once i recall building a fire with two dudes (about age 14) and warming our feet up before proceeding further. Another time, a stranger young dude remarked as our group passed by, "I wish I could go hiking with you!" i was all about impressing these 'underprivilged' kids with life "BEYOND THUNDERDOME" (remember the movie, the 2nd in the Mad Max series). And was walking the walk since i was involved in regular physical feats as a soloist (tho our group went biking a few times together, for many more miles than i figured likely!). They all definitely wanted to EXPLORE BEYOND much of what they were surrounded by! i'm sadly out of touch with most of them, today. They'd all be in their 50s by now. The war at home pushed us away, back then, and up to now. Well, there's a fine start, eh? (crickets?)