I must have been around 12 or 13 when I got my first bike. We were living in a squatting area at Good Hope on the East Coast (in Guyana) and I found an old bicycle in a garbage heap that I was determined to salvage. Most of the bike was junk—the wheels were messed up, and the front fork was broken. But the frame was still good. So, I dragged it home and slowly began disassembling it. This was my first time taking a bike apart so I had no idea what I was doing (and I didn’t have any tools). But, I figured it out in the end.

Once I had stripped it down, I noticed that the frame had a small crack . I wasn’t too worried though and I was pretty sure that the welding shop could repair it. So, I made the trek to the only ‘welder man’ I knew of who had a small shop a few villages away and spent what little savings I had to have him weld it for me.

With the frame repaired, I bought some sandpaper and spray paint. Step one: scrape the paint off. I got to work with an old knife and did an impressive job stripping the paint off the frame. Then, I sanded it smooth and prepped it for a fresh coat of paint. I hung the frame from a rafter on a piece of wire and worked my spray magic. A few coats later, I had a shiny new bike frame. I did apply the paint too thick in a few places, which caused it to run a bit, but all in all, it was a pretty good paint job.

Over the next few months, I found most of the parts I needed to get my bike rolling. I scavenged wheels, pedals, a fork, and handlebars. I did have to buy a few parts though—brakes, tubes, and a saddle—but everything else I got from friends or a dump the over the bridge from Sally’s shop.

By the time it was done, it looked pretty slick. I was no bike mechanic, so it rode like a piece of crap. But when it came to the looks, it could hold its own – It was a metallic red frame with a black fork that has some cool flame stickers. It was a solid 7 out of 10 in the looks department. Around this time, there were metallic blue rims and accessories that were pretty trendy. While I couldn’t afford them, I managed to find some craft supplies that looked almost identical. I used tape to attach blue strips to my hubs, and they looked pretty good—at least when dry. If they got wet, it was over.

Good times, boy. Good times.

In the years that followed, I always had access to a bike, though they were always made of mismatched parts. That was until I got a shiny new (to me) Schwinn MTB, which I had saved up to buy for 22,000 GYD. That was a lot of money, but it was money well spent – the bike was amazing! It was a big upgrade, and as I was working at a welding shop in Georgetown by then, it became my primary mode of transportation to work. To me, it was like getting a car! But my joy was short-lived. My little brother and nephew took the bike out one day without asking me, and it got stolen from them (a whole other story by itself). And just like that, it was gone.

I’ve never really been without a bike since that first one all those years ago. The love never went away but, for some reason (mainly finances), all of my bikes have been pre-owned. Even the one I have now – I bought if off of Facebook Marketplace for a few hundred dollars when we first moved to Canada. It’s a great bike, and it has made my time here in Canada so much better. But it isn’t special. It’s old and heavy and grumpy. It’s served me well, but I’m looking forward to upgrading. And this time, it won’t be any second hand bike. Nope, this time, I want something proper. I feel like it’s been a long time coming.

Having grown up in poverty, I’ve often felt a sense of shame or embarrassment about some of my experiences. But I’m learning to accept that every part of my journey has shaped who I am, both the good and the bad. Reflecting on my early life now fills me with gratitude—for my upbringing and for where I am today. And I’ve realized that I can either be a crappy imitation of (insert creative person I admire here) or I could be a really good Damion and embrace all of my Damion-ness. I think I’ll choose the latter.

So here’s to that first frame all those years ago, to all the frames that I’ve had in the years that followed, and to reframing my own view of myself, and the world around me.

Ok, that’s it for now. Stay well friend. Stay creative and I’ll catch you in the next one.

Damion