The Twelve Days of 40: Part 5/13
Previously on “The Twelve Days of 40”
You have likely heard the song “The 12 Days of Christmas” at some point in your life. “On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” Blah, blah, blah. Et cetera. So on and so forth.
To celebrate my 40th birthday scheduled to take place less than a year from now, I would like to look back at the 12 most unforgettable days of my life (plus one honorable mention). They have all made me the person I am today: an imperfect, yet perfectly happy husband, father, son, brother, and human being.
It would only make sense to start at the bottom of the list and work our way to the top. So, without further ado…
No. 9: Learning to tie my shoelaces correctly.
The day was a lesson in determination…
I love sports. I had actually started on Medium as a sportswriter. I am also a lifelong fan of the Golden State Warriors, Las Vegas Raiders, and Oakland Athletics.
Yet, my hand-eye coordination is subpar. There are a number of basic physical activities I struggle to perform. Catching a baseball. Dribbling a basketball. Even throwing a football on target.
Add tying my shoelaces to the list. Seriously. I could not do it properly until I was eight years old.
Most children learn to do it at five or six. Numerous people had tried to teach me, but to no avail. My parents. Siblings. Friends. Classmates. Even random adults.
I simply could not understand how to tie a knot. Making a loop with one hand and then wrapping the lace around it with the other hand made no sense in my mind. It was as impossible as jamming a square peg into a round hole. Wiggling one’s ears. Traveling faster than the speed of light.
Hence, I almost always wore shoes with Velcro straps as a child. When I had to wear shoes with laces, I felt anxious. Helpless. Even frightened.
I knew I desperately needed to learn to tie my shoelaces correctly. But, how? When? Most importantly, from whom?
The answer: my cousin, Alex.
Alex was 16 years old at the time. He had visited our home often and become like a brother to me. He was someone I trusted, respected, and even admired.
Alex and I were spending time together one day and the topic of my shoelace problem was mentioned. He initially assumed I was joking. Thus, he laughed and teased me about it.
“Punk, come on. You know how to tie them,” Alex said with a grin.
“No, really, I can’t do it,” I replied with embarrassment.
After a moment, Alex stopped laughing and stared at me with astonishment.
“What? Really? You’re eight years old and can’t tie your shoes?”
“Yeah.”
“Man, come here. Let me show you. Watch me.”
Alex gave me a detailed tutorial with his own shoelace and then asked me to tie mine the same way. After a few unsuccessful attempts, I became frustrated. I clenched my jaw. My face turned red. I even wanted to cry. But I refused to quit.
So, I tried again, again, and again. I started to lose hope. But then something magical happened…
…I successfully tied my shoelace! I finally did it. Lo and behold.
For the record, Alex had taught me to tie my shoelace by making a loop with my left hand and wrapping the lace around it with his right hand. But the previous people had instructed me to make the loop with my right hand and so forth.
Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, Alex was my hero at that moment.
Even more than 30 years later, I cannot help but smile when I think about that day. While nothing humorous had happened, I smile because it was the biggest achievement of my life at the time. I only hope my son, Mateo, has an easier time when his turn arrives in a few years.
My determination had come in handy the day I learned to tie my shoelaces, for which I am grateful.