Fifteen years old, wanting a job but unable to drive.

As an avid swimmer I
decided to take up lifeguarding. A few months into working I was used to the routine of
riding my bike to and from work so I was not too early and never late. It was only about
a fifteen minute bike ride considering the smooth sidewalks and minimal hills. The
constant thought of how much trouble I would be in if I was late consumed my brain so I
was always on time. In reality I would’ve been in little to no trouble for being late and it’s
the overwhelming guilt that would’ve been the real trouble.
One Tuesday afternoon I was scheduled to work the three to six shift. I had
worked this shift many times before. I typically left my house around 2:30 to be on time
because they required us to be there ten minutes before each shift starts. I took 900
East the majority of the way to work then went up a random road in Holladay to finally
reach the recreation center I lifeguard at. I was riding at an average speed on 900 East
when suddenly a car pulled out of a hidden driveway at what seemed to be a very fast
speed. There was a fence on the left side of the driveway basically blocking all views
from the left so it was not possible for this car to see me coming. At the speed the car
was going though, there was no way he could’ve stopped when he got to the point of
visibility to see me. This left me with no time to stop without getting hit. I make the quick
decision of swerving off the sidewalk to possibly save myself from falling.
This attempt to stay on my bike did not work. I swerve and fall at the end of the
driveway. Luckily the car saw me at that point and did not keep backing up. I’m on the
ground and feel immediate pain in my left leg. I look down to see blood running down
my leg. I get up immediately hardly looking at the extent of my injuries. Due to my
lifeguard uniform being very short shorts, basically my entire bare skin on my left leg
was slid across the cement. I was so anxious I’d be late for work that I didn’t even stop
to care for myself, I could hardly walk. I rode away before the driver could even get a
sentence out. I was so nervous I was riding so fast I ended up being early for work. I
cleaned myself up at work and continued to work the whole shift even though my boss
said I could go home.
My anxiety forced me to ride two bike rides and work a three hour shift, which
was mostly walking, with very deep and extensive road rash on my entire left leg. It may
sound dumb to some but it is more than just being scared. “An estimated 31.3% of US
adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.” That’s one out of
three people who have to deal with anxiety throughout their life. Anxiety can take control
and overwhelm your brain in uncontrollable ways. Since this experience almost four
years ago, I’ve yet to get on a bike.

Works Cited
“Any Anxiety Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.
Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.