Actually, I've started several writing projects:
Title - "Waiting For The Wren To Come" - poetry
Title - "Band of Gold" - play
Title - Our Story- The Life of Women in Columbia-Greene Classis - research project
Title - "Little Shepherd Boy" - children's book
Title - "I Reached For the Stars, And Caught The Moon" - Sort of autobiographical - with the
C2C bike tour as the backdrop.
Forward: In January, 2008, I read in a church bulletin insert that more riders were being
sought to participate in a cross country bike tour sponsored by the Christian Reformed
Church with the Reformed Church in America. The purpose of this tour was to raise
funds to address and awareness of the issues of poverty in our world. The Christian Reformed Church (CRC) held a similar effort in 2005 to mark their 150th anniversary. The funds raised by that effort supported church starts throughout the North American Continent.
Because of the success of that effort and the desire of others to participate in something similar, the Sea To Sea Tour - Biking to End the Cycle of Poverty was organized. This resulted in the largest cross continent tour to ever take place. When it was completed, over 200 cyclists and approximately 25 support staff journey either some or all of 3831 miles throughout North America. More significantly, over 2.1 million dollars were raised to support mission efforts in the CRC & RCA. The funds raised were to be distributed among these organizations:
In order to ride, each cyclist had to raise either $4000.00, $8,000.00 or $10,000.00 dollars.
Donations continued coming in throughout the summer. Numerous individuals across the country also contributed as we made our way throughout the towns, villages and cities in 8 states and the province of Ontario, CA. Waitresses handed over their tips, diners in small coffee shops and other eateries pulled out their wallets to support the effort when they heard about the tour. Folks in groceries, gas stations and along the roads offered whatever they could to offer a helping hand. These contributions came spontaneously and with heartfelt generosity by people happy to help support such an effort. That doesn't begin to describe the support of the family, friends and "strangers" we met on the way who offered the precious drink of cold water, or held up a home made sign to encourage bikers as we pedaled what sometimes seemed like endless miles. And the cakes, cookies and other fare offered to help us maintain our energy. You cannot imagine the support and encouragement we received by so many others who went out of their way to remind us we were not alone. Additionally, the help we received by our support staff cannot be underestimated or over appreciated. The SAG drivers and "Kitchen Ladies" were part of this rolling, mobile community - a community which was born out of the desire to feed His sheep and share the love of the Lord.
How I got involved in this effort is a story in and of itself but I realized that it was a backdrop to a larger story - the story of
The title came from a saying I heard around the same time that I heard about the trip. I have paraphrased it, I think, because I don't remember the exact phrase. But the concept is pretty clear. While many of us reach for the stars and actually get to grab ahold, sometimes we reach for something and don't get get it. In sharing my intention to participate in the ride, I received mostly encouraging feedback. Mostly but not all. There were a few responses of the "what are you nuts?" kind of question or the ever heartfelt, "better you than me" comment. Of all the people who had something to say only a couple which fell in the negative category. For whatever reason, these people were adamant that this was not something I should participate in. However, their reasons weren't persuasive enough to dissuade me from following through on this decision. I did appreciate when people expressed concern for my well-being as my overall health in general was never in the great shape category. But when people asked, "what if you don't make it", I could and did reply, "well, then I've reached for the stars and caught the moon instead - not a bad deal."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Oct 9, 2008
Pretty straightforward title, eh? I'm trying to become more disciplined about writing on a regular basis - but why in a blog? Why not just in a journal or even a word document?
Maybe because it's the compromise between writing as a writer for myself and writing something in the small hope that one day I'll get around to writing something which I can
then submit for publication. I write knowing that it's possible someone else may read these
entries but also possible that no one else will. Which is fine - as long as I write. Something I've supposedly wanted to do for ages. And not just for me - but with the hope of getting published.
But like they say re: winning the lottery - "you've got to be in it to win it". In order to be published - one has to write - or there will definitely be NO POSSIBILITY of being published. Ok - my credo is somewhere on the shelves of NBTS - I think - but it's not quite what I had in mind. And why is it that some writers can sit and write as if their life depended on it - and others struggle with the chasm between desire intent and intent and follow through.
It's kind of similar to what I experienced while riding on the C2C tour. Many of the riders could get up each morning, eat breakfast and hop on their bikes and just go. And it was never (according to them) something that they struggled with. Riding was just so much fun, so inspiring, so whatever that apparently they didn't ever wake up cringing at the thought of hoping on and going. But for me & I think at least a few others - there were mornings when the thought of getting up and pedaling for the next 5-8 hours was overwhelming. Sometimes tear producing. It's not that I ever stopped liking biking in and of itself. But even though I did manage to get up every morning at least by 6, a miracle, and wanted to fully participate in this thing I committed to doing, I had days when I just didn't know how it would happen. One morning, in the town of Dinosaur, I woke up, after a night of sleep and no particular agenda other than getting to point B from point A that day but found I could not get going. I DID NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF MY TENT. I did not want to get up, get dressed or ride. Now, did I somehow change in the middle of the night to a creature whose heart changed, whose mind changed about this tour and the purpose of the ride? No, I don't believe so. I just was going through a moment in life in which my heart, my mind, my body decided we'd had enough. It was more than I could bear - the thought of riding 1 mile never mind whatever we had to ride that day. But as my friend says in her song - "there is more than what was going on in that moment". I perhaps could not fathom what exactly it was I was feeling in that moment -
but I had to fix my eyes "not on what is seen by what is unseen". If I let myself sucumb to the moment of distress, I would not have moved - the feeling was almost enough to paralyze me - not as I have experienced in say, a PANIC ATTACK - because I wasn't panicky. I was just TIRED, I think. So, in order to get going, I promised myself I would only make myself ride a mile. At least. I'd even aim for 3 miles but after that I wasn't going to make myself go any further. And I had to allow myself that leeway or else I would not have left the haven of the tent. And so I got up, got dressed, had breakfast, got my gear put together to go on the truck and I swung my leg over the saddle and started peddling. And in interesting thing happened. After 3 miles, I thought I might make it another 2 or 3 at least. At that point another rider, Ad, rode up beside me. It's funny because on this particular day, Ad decided that he wasn't in any particular hurry and asked if he could join me. I responded the way I always did - that he was more than welcome to ride alongside but he was welcome to go on at any point if he decided that he wanted to speed it up. Speed became somewhat of an issue during the tour and it could be a struggle trying to keep up with others - even when they offered to slow down. For the most part - it would work for a while but then the bikers with more stamina, energy, whatever would find that the slow pace just didn't work for them. I personally didn't have too much of a problem with that but it did get discouraging now and then or more to see people passing, passing, passing on their way to the next stopover. Now, it's easy to say that comparing ourselves with others isn't necessary or helpful or even what God wants us to do. Which is true. If God called "Me", to ride, God called me as I am, not as I should or even would like to be. God called me and uses me with all that I am and all that I have to offer in service. But, I would like to be more physically fit and always have wanted to be. I've worked out, I've gone to gyms, I've exercised on and off my whole life and no matter what - I don't improve after a certain point. So, while I didn't have to keep up with others - I would have liked to so that I could take my time later in the day to keep up with blogging, or to go to a local store, hang-out whatever and just be part of the larger group. Or even a smaller one. So, sometimes, on rare occasions it happened but for the most part, I would, with the support of one or two or maybe 3 others who weren't in a hurry that day, get to our overnight site more towared the end of the day - rather than earlier.
Do I feel less of a person? Does God or anyone else love me less? No!! I'm not less than anyone else although I might want to be better at the fitness thing. Certainly God would not love me less - or more - than any other rider. And in fact - it was quite a reminder that God uses us in our weakness moreso than using our strengths to work in us. We are so caught up in our culture to worship strength!!! Physical, emotional, spiritual - that we forget that God's work is with the weak, the poor, the marginalized. Our strengths very often can get in the way of God's purpose - we sucumb to an "oh, look what I did kind of thinking and forget to say look how God uses me. Certainly it's not a sin to recognize our strengths and capabilities and use them - but we can't eliminate or ignore the way God uses the weaknesses of our lives, our personalities to show us how great God is - and what can be accomplished when we remember that it IS ALL ABOUT GOD!!
Anyway - for the bikers who didn't want to ride everyday, all the way - but did, with or without support - amen. I commend you and I appreciate that you probably have an idea of what it was like that one morning when I couldn't do the whole day's ride. I did end up riding 18 miles - to the first SAG stop of the day - COREY - YAYY COREY. I had a snack and then got in his van and fell asleep for like 3 hours. Then we rode on and at some point I did get out and finish the ride for that day on my bike. As the tour progressed, there were a lot of days such as that one. I'd start out on the bike, ride for a while, then get a ride in a SAG and then finish the day off on my bike. It was the style - the pattern - the recipe that worked for me. Toward the end of the ride - I had more days when I could ride the whole day - every mile - even if it took longer than most. Right now I'm riding almost every day of the week - but not more than 20 miles in one day. And it's getting harder, not easier to keep it up. Why? I want to stay in shape - the physical part of it should be showing improvement but I don't seem to be. It's weird.
I really did learn that I had to and continue to have to trust that inner voice - that inner knowing that when I make a choice, a decision to do or not something, it is because I am allowing God to lead me. To the outside world, it may not make sense, but I know that I know what I know and I have to trust that. I don't do this in a vacuum as I am in conversation with Dave and others about other possibilities but I trust that my relationship with the Divine is ongoing and real so that I can trust that today's choices are part of an overall plan for my life and my life in the context of the greater world around me. I know that when I took days off during the ride and when I took the 2 weeks off to come home they were so the right choices - for me. I wasn't quitting as someone asked me one day. I wasn't giving up. I was pacing myself for the long run - the run that continues after the bike tour. If I had really pushed myself - I might have collapsed - physically or emotionally and who knows what that would have meant. Of course there seems to still be an awareness and acceptance of physical needs moreso than mental/emotional. We applaud people for getting physically injured but we dismiss those whose wounds we can't (or won't) see. We decide that if "I can do thus and such", then so should someone else be able to. Our ability & willingness to judge what others do - or what we think they should do is so arrogant. Hey, I'm guilty of it myself. I know how hard it is to overcome childhood wounds - and the control we can feel throughout the years but I will say things like, "it's time for so and so to take responsibility for his/her life." Yes, it may be true - but not everything is revealed to each of us in the same way. How on earth can I say that "he should just move on (this isn't in relation to the loss of a loved on) when I still am working on issues which hang me up. Now, it's interesting that I don't say that about people who are in grief about the loss of a loved one - but grief generated by other kinds of loss they should be able to move past. I guess it's watching how others allow the wounds of the past to continue to control them so that they don't get to grow and move forward using their full potential for life. They are in their weakness - which God can use - but I guess the question is - do they let God do that for/with them?
Anyway - I think the next entry should be some pictures. I have to put together a CD with highlights from the trip as I will be doing some presentations in the next couple of weeks about it - and it'd be nice to have pictures to show. A power point presentation is what I'm going to try working on. No, I'm going to work on it - hopefully it will come together.
One more note - the wooly bears are out all over the place. I have seen plenty while riding around and the other day saw an all black one. It was beautiful. Fall is truly here and it's a great season.
Maybe because it's the compromise between writing as a writer for myself and writing something in the small hope that one day I'll get around to writing something which I can
then submit for publication. I write knowing that it's possible someone else may read these
entries but also possible that no one else will. Which is fine - as long as I write. Something I've supposedly wanted to do for ages. And not just for me - but with the hope of getting published.
But like they say re: winning the lottery - "you've got to be in it to win it". In order to be published - one has to write - or there will definitely be NO POSSIBILITY of being published. Ok - my credo is somewhere on the shelves of NBTS - I think - but it's not quite what I had in mind. And why is it that some writers can sit and write as if their life depended on it - and others struggle with the chasm between desire intent and intent and follow through.
It's kind of similar to what I experienced while riding on the C2C tour. Many of the riders could get up each morning, eat breakfast and hop on their bikes and just go. And it was never (according to them) something that they struggled with. Riding was just so much fun, so inspiring, so whatever that apparently they didn't ever wake up cringing at the thought of hoping on and going. But for me & I think at least a few others - there were mornings when the thought of getting up and pedaling for the next 5-8 hours was overwhelming. Sometimes tear producing. It's not that I ever stopped liking biking in and of itself. But even though I did manage to get up every morning at least by 6, a miracle, and wanted to fully participate in this thing I committed to doing, I had days when I just didn't know how it would happen. One morning, in the town of Dinosaur, I woke up, after a night of sleep and no particular agenda other than getting to point B from point A that day but found I could not get going. I DID NOT WANT TO GET OUT OF MY TENT. I did not want to get up, get dressed or ride. Now, did I somehow change in the middle of the night to a creature whose heart changed, whose mind changed about this tour and the purpose of the ride? No, I don't believe so. I just was going through a moment in life in which my heart, my mind, my body decided we'd had enough. It was more than I could bear - the thought of riding 1 mile never mind whatever we had to ride that day. But as my friend says in her song - "there is more than what was going on in that moment". I perhaps could not fathom what exactly it was I was feeling in that moment -
but I had to fix my eyes "not on what is seen by what is unseen". If I let myself sucumb to the moment of distress, I would not have moved - the feeling was almost enough to paralyze me - not as I have experienced in say, a PANIC ATTACK - because I wasn't panicky. I was just TIRED, I think. So, in order to get going, I promised myself I would only make myself ride a mile. At least. I'd even aim for 3 miles but after that I wasn't going to make myself go any further. And I had to allow myself that leeway or else I would not have left the haven of the tent. And so I got up, got dressed, had breakfast, got my gear put together to go on the truck and I swung my leg over the saddle and started peddling. And in interesting thing happened. After 3 miles, I thought I might make it another 2 or 3 at least. At that point another rider, Ad, rode up beside me. It's funny because on this particular day, Ad decided that he wasn't in any particular hurry and asked if he could join me. I responded the way I always did - that he was more than welcome to ride alongside but he was welcome to go on at any point if he decided that he wanted to speed it up. Speed became somewhat of an issue during the tour and it could be a struggle trying to keep up with others - even when they offered to slow down. For the most part - it would work for a while but then the bikers with more stamina, energy, whatever would find that the slow pace just didn't work for them. I personally didn't have too much of a problem with that but it did get discouraging now and then or more to see people passing, passing, passing on their way to the next stopover. Now, it's easy to say that comparing ourselves with others isn't necessary or helpful or even what God wants us to do. Which is true. If God called "Me", to ride, God called me as I am, not as I should or even would like to be. God called me and uses me with all that I am and all that I have to offer in service. But, I would like to be more physically fit and always have wanted to be. I've worked out, I've gone to gyms, I've exercised on and off my whole life and no matter what - I don't improve after a certain point. So, while I didn't have to keep up with others - I would have liked to so that I could take my time later in the day to keep up with blogging, or to go to a local store, hang-out whatever and just be part of the larger group. Or even a smaller one. So, sometimes, on rare occasions it happened but for the most part, I would, with the support of one or two or maybe 3 others who weren't in a hurry that day, get to our overnight site more towared the end of the day - rather than earlier.
Do I feel less of a person? Does God or anyone else love me less? No!! I'm not less than anyone else although I might want to be better at the fitness thing. Certainly God would not love me less - or more - than any other rider. And in fact - it was quite a reminder that God uses us in our weakness moreso than using our strengths to work in us. We are so caught up in our culture to worship strength!!! Physical, emotional, spiritual - that we forget that God's work is with the weak, the poor, the marginalized. Our strengths very often can get in the way of God's purpose - we sucumb to an "oh, look what I did kind of thinking and forget to say look how God uses me. Certainly it's not a sin to recognize our strengths and capabilities and use them - but we can't eliminate or ignore the way God uses the weaknesses of our lives, our personalities to show us how great God is - and what can be accomplished when we remember that it IS ALL ABOUT GOD!!
Anyway - for the bikers who didn't want to ride everyday, all the way - but did, with or without support - amen. I commend you and I appreciate that you probably have an idea of what it was like that one morning when I couldn't do the whole day's ride. I did end up riding 18 miles - to the first SAG stop of the day - COREY - YAYY COREY. I had a snack and then got in his van and fell asleep for like 3 hours. Then we rode on and at some point I did get out and finish the ride for that day on my bike. As the tour progressed, there were a lot of days such as that one. I'd start out on the bike, ride for a while, then get a ride in a SAG and then finish the day off on my bike. It was the style - the pattern - the recipe that worked for me. Toward the end of the ride - I had more days when I could ride the whole day - every mile - even if it took longer than most. Right now I'm riding almost every day of the week - but not more than 20 miles in one day. And it's getting harder, not easier to keep it up. Why? I want to stay in shape - the physical part of it should be showing improvement but I don't seem to be. It's weird.
I really did learn that I had to and continue to have to trust that inner voice - that inner knowing that when I make a choice, a decision to do or not something, it is because I am allowing God to lead me. To the outside world, it may not make sense, but I know that I know what I know and I have to trust that. I don't do this in a vacuum as I am in conversation with Dave and others about other possibilities but I trust that my relationship with the Divine is ongoing and real so that I can trust that today's choices are part of an overall plan for my life and my life in the context of the greater world around me. I know that when I took days off during the ride and when I took the 2 weeks off to come home they were so the right choices - for me. I wasn't quitting as someone asked me one day. I wasn't giving up. I was pacing myself for the long run - the run that continues after the bike tour. If I had really pushed myself - I might have collapsed - physically or emotionally and who knows what that would have meant. Of course there seems to still be an awareness and acceptance of physical needs moreso than mental/emotional. We applaud people for getting physically injured but we dismiss those whose wounds we can't (or won't) see. We decide that if "I can do thus and such", then so should someone else be able to. Our ability & willingness to judge what others do - or what we think they should do is so arrogant. Hey, I'm guilty of it myself. I know how hard it is to overcome childhood wounds - and the control we can feel throughout the years but I will say things like, "it's time for so and so to take responsibility for his/her life." Yes, it may be true - but not everything is revealed to each of us in the same way. How on earth can I say that "he should just move on (this isn't in relation to the loss of a loved on) when I still am working on issues which hang me up. Now, it's interesting that I don't say that about people who are in grief about the loss of a loved one - but grief generated by other kinds of loss they should be able to move past. I guess it's watching how others allow the wounds of the past to continue to control them so that they don't get to grow and move forward using their full potential for life. They are in their weakness - which God can use - but I guess the question is - do they let God do that for/with them?
Anyway - I think the next entry should be some pictures. I have to put together a CD with highlights from the trip as I will be doing some presentations in the next couple of weeks about it - and it'd be nice to have pictures to show. A power point presentation is what I'm going to try working on. No, I'm going to work on it - hopefully it will come together.
One more note - the wooly bears are out all over the place. I have seen plenty while riding around and the other day saw an all black one. It was beautiful. Fall is truly here and it's a great season.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Into the Future
Hi All -
It's OCTOBER!! I've written in my blog lots and lots since August - unfortunately - it's been only in my mind. Since getting home, I've been more inclined to live my life daily - rather than writing about it - although I've been promising myself I'd get around to writing more often and just haven't done it.
Anyway - can't upload any pictures from the pc I'm writing on but wanted to get a few thoughtsdown before they go the way of the do-do bird, into extinction.
First off - the last 3 weeks of the tour were easier in many ways to live through - no more 11,000' climbs. Still no rain. Much more used to riding. Riding a bike better suited to the purpose. There were up and down hills to get over but other than the 112% grade in Canada -
nothing too major. The challenge (at that point) for me was to finish the ride and do so in the most efficient, effective way possible. I realized that I enjoyed going through Michigan because it was familiar territory. (The impact of familiarity should not be underestimated - we also shouldn't be slaves to it - as in - "we never did it this way before"). The environment was much more like upstate NY where I live than being in the desert. Duh! Trees - greenery, rolling landscape, etc. Not too much humidity and certainly not as hot as the desert had been. Riding along Lake Michigan was lovely as was staying in the state park that we camped in one night.
Getting into Canada was a big treat. The welcome was incredible and the hospitality throughout was phenomenal. I enjoy visiting Canada - Dave & I honeymooned there 10 years ago and I was there when I was 7 for Expo '67 with my family - Mom, Dad, Edie, Lena & I think my grandfather. Heading back over the Rainbow Bridge at Niagra Falls was quite an experience also. Seeing all these riders biking as one, making our way back to the states stands out as a trip highlight. Didn't receive the same welcome as when we went into Canada (like 300 people and 3 tents full of snacks, and souvenoirs) but for me it was coming home. The excitement really began building as the days passed and the end of the tour got closer. Many people had mixed feelings about it and I did too but to a small degree.
I've been wondering why this experience hasn't had the impact on me that a) I thought it would and b) that it has had on others. I realize that riding any or all of this tour was a major commitment and sacrifice but that OMG sense of having participated and completed (for the most part) it still hasn't hit me. People who hear about what I've done are really "impressed" and think it was a great thing. I think that what was great was the inspiration for the tour itself and fulfilling a mandate by God to care for and be there for others. It was a great, creative way to address the needs of brothers & sisters who don't have the resources that many of us do. But I, who get excited over the silliest things am not overly excited with myself for having done this. It's kind of weird. I mean, I don't regret doing it, I'm happy to have done it, I think that it was part of many efforts to address the issue of poverty and related concerns but I just haven't been all crazy about it. And this isn't about anyone else or the tour itself. Perhaps it's because I did it but it's over. Maybe it's because my sense is that it really is just a beginning or should be of a long term effort to continue addressing and seeking change in a system that is falls short of what it should be about - seeing that EVERYONE has enough resources to live on - which I believe is the case. The ride, as we were reminded of at our final rally (Sat. Aug 30th CRC in Wyckoff NJ), is or should be only the beginning of an effort to eradicate poverty, for us riders and tour participants in the long run - sort of like a kick-off event. We as individuals and congregations and members of surrounding communities need to be looking for ways to continue to see that the hungry get fed; see that there is no one else in our world thirsting for literal water or righteousness; see that everyone has enough- enough medical care, insurance, money in the bank, and all the things that so many of us can take for granted and so many more can only dream about.
The ride did accomplish it's purpose in that over 2.1 million dollars were raised to be used toward these efforts. Riders rode, stories were told, mission was accomplished but I am curious about something. One of the stated purposes of the ride was to raise awareness, awareness of poverty -(I'm really curious as to who isn't aware of its existence). Awareness of ways to alleviate and eradicate it - if only. But what is the standard by which we judge as to whether or not that was accomplished? Is there a way to measure the level of awareness prior to the tour? Is there a way to measure the impact of the tour on people's awareness during and after the ride? If so - what is is it? Who determine(d)(s) the level of success that we achieved? And of course the ever so obvious hermeneutical question, "how are we defining success?" I know that the tour itself was publicized so people did become aware of the fact that people were riding bicycles across North America for the purpose of raising funds and awareness of poverty related issues. There were newspaper articles and t.v. interviews. The tour made it into our denominational magazines. But the issue of poverty? And how we can participate in eradicating it - is there any more awareness of that than there was prior to the ride? And - if there is, does it, will it make a difference? How? At one level - it will make a difference only if we as individuals want it to. If we as the Body of Christ say it matters so much that we will continue to do what we can to meet the needs of the world - then it will make a difference. I'm sure that the distribution of the funds raised will have a direct impact upon those who receive them but since I am not aware of how and to whom they will be distributed, I don't know what that will look like.
I suspect that there will only be a handful of people who, having ridden will find some way to use the trip as a springboard for onging further action. I trust that for the most part - the people who signed on for this adventure had already been doing something in terms of mission and ministry prior to the ride and this was another way to respond to this particular need. Perhaps someone will have an ephiphany directly related to their ride about ways to address the root causes of poverty - something creative or truly inspiring. I think that for the most part though - the majority of us will have come back to our everyday lives, doing our best to be faithful in answering the call that God lays upon our hearts in ways large & small that generally make up our days. We will come back to our homes, families, jobs, careers, congregations having experienced something and knowing that what we did was important but only a small section on the long journey we call our lives. What comes next? I think that this was the question that another rider was posing on our email forum. Larry shared some thoughts about what the ride meant and was asking in some sense - "ok, now what? Now what are we to do with what we have learned & experienced this summer via the bike tour?" What if any will the long term impact be? What is the next step in our spiritual journey? How can I as I must, remain open to God's leading? How faithful am I being to carrying out my purpose in addressing these concerns in my everyday life as I obviously can't spend the rest of my life riding a bike across the world - even if it is for a good purpose?
I am continuing to ride - but at this point it is for health reasons more than anything. I am pretty sure I could ride in other fund raising events - although I would definitely prefer to have a touring bike to do that with. (I did have to return Lucy 2 back to her owner after the ride was over. Didn't have enough funds to keep her). I enjoy riding Lucy Blue - my hybrid - around the county - but still have a hard time getting up any kind of incline. I also prefer sitting up more or less straight if I am going to ride any great distance. Haven't done that yet. I'm riding about 80 or so miles a week to keep fit. Perhaps will have a day when I can head out for a loooong ride and then have Dave come pick me up.
In the meantime - I am as content as I ever have been and enjoying life back at home tending to our pets and the chickens. Wouldn't mind if Amber & Justin were closer to us but they are on their own paths in their own places so will keep in touch via phone, email and hopefully visits sooner rather than later.
There are other thoughts I've had about the trip -and I'll write them sooner or later - but for now, have to turn in - 6:30 comes quickly. I've maintained the early to bed - early to rise schedule since coming home - for the most part - and enjoy having the whole day to attend to things. Last week I was up later than usual since I was visiting friends, my sister and attending my niece's wedding but going to get back on track.
Peace & blessings to all this night -
It's OCTOBER!! I've written in my blog lots and lots since August - unfortunately - it's been only in my mind. Since getting home, I've been more inclined to live my life daily - rather than writing about it - although I've been promising myself I'd get around to writing more often and just haven't done it.
Anyway - can't upload any pictures from the pc I'm writing on but wanted to get a few thoughtsdown before they go the way of the do-do bird, into extinction.
First off - the last 3 weeks of the tour were easier in many ways to live through - no more 11,000' climbs. Still no rain. Much more used to riding. Riding a bike better suited to the purpose. There were up and down hills to get over but other than the 112% grade in Canada -
nothing too major. The challenge (at that point) for me was to finish the ride and do so in the most efficient, effective way possible. I realized that I enjoyed going through Michigan because it was familiar territory. (The impact of familiarity should not be underestimated - we also shouldn't be slaves to it - as in - "we never did it this way before"). The environment was much more like upstate NY where I live than being in the desert. Duh! Trees - greenery, rolling landscape, etc. Not too much humidity and certainly not as hot as the desert had been. Riding along Lake Michigan was lovely as was staying in the state park that we camped in one night.
Getting into Canada was a big treat. The welcome was incredible and the hospitality throughout was phenomenal. I enjoy visiting Canada - Dave & I honeymooned there 10 years ago and I was there when I was 7 for Expo '67 with my family - Mom, Dad, Edie, Lena & I think my grandfather. Heading back over the Rainbow Bridge at Niagra Falls was quite an experience also. Seeing all these riders biking as one, making our way back to the states stands out as a trip highlight. Didn't receive the same welcome as when we went into Canada (like 300 people and 3 tents full of snacks, and souvenoirs) but for me it was coming home. The excitement really began building as the days passed and the end of the tour got closer. Many people had mixed feelings about it and I did too but to a small degree.
I've been wondering why this experience hasn't had the impact on me that a) I thought it would and b) that it has had on others. I realize that riding any or all of this tour was a major commitment and sacrifice but that OMG sense of having participated and completed (for the most part) it still hasn't hit me. People who hear about what I've done are really "impressed" and think it was a great thing. I think that what was great was the inspiration for the tour itself and fulfilling a mandate by God to care for and be there for others. It was a great, creative way to address the needs of brothers & sisters who don't have the resources that many of us do. But I, who get excited over the silliest things am not overly excited with myself for having done this. It's kind of weird. I mean, I don't regret doing it, I'm happy to have done it, I think that it was part of many efforts to address the issue of poverty and related concerns but I just haven't been all crazy about it. And this isn't about anyone else or the tour itself. Perhaps it's because I did it but it's over. Maybe it's because my sense is that it really is just a beginning or should be of a long term effort to continue addressing and seeking change in a system that is falls short of what it should be about - seeing that EVERYONE has enough resources to live on - which I believe is the case. The ride, as we were reminded of at our final rally (Sat. Aug 30th CRC in Wyckoff NJ), is or should be only the beginning of an effort to eradicate poverty, for us riders and tour participants in the long run - sort of like a kick-off event. We as individuals and congregations and members of surrounding communities need to be looking for ways to continue to see that the hungry get fed; see that there is no one else in our world thirsting for literal water or righteousness; see that everyone has enough- enough medical care, insurance, money in the bank, and all the things that so many of us can take for granted and so many more can only dream about.
The ride did accomplish it's purpose in that over 2.1 million dollars were raised to be used toward these efforts. Riders rode, stories were told, mission was accomplished but I am curious about something. One of the stated purposes of the ride was to raise awareness, awareness of poverty -(I'm really curious as to who isn't aware of its existence). Awareness of ways to alleviate and eradicate it - if only. But what is the standard by which we judge as to whether or not that was accomplished? Is there a way to measure the level of awareness prior to the tour? Is there a way to measure the impact of the tour on people's awareness during and after the ride? If so - what is is it? Who determine(d)(s) the level of success that we achieved? And of course the ever so obvious hermeneutical question, "how are we defining success?" I know that the tour itself was publicized so people did become aware of the fact that people were riding bicycles across North America for the purpose of raising funds and awareness of poverty related issues. There were newspaper articles and t.v. interviews. The tour made it into our denominational magazines. But the issue of poverty? And how we can participate in eradicating it - is there any more awareness of that than there was prior to the ride? And - if there is, does it, will it make a difference? How? At one level - it will make a difference only if we as individuals want it to. If we as the Body of Christ say it matters so much that we will continue to do what we can to meet the needs of the world - then it will make a difference. I'm sure that the distribution of the funds raised will have a direct impact upon those who receive them but since I am not aware of how and to whom they will be distributed, I don't know what that will look like.
I suspect that there will only be a handful of people who, having ridden will find some way to use the trip as a springboard for onging further action. I trust that for the most part - the people who signed on for this adventure had already been doing something in terms of mission and ministry prior to the ride and this was another way to respond to this particular need. Perhaps someone will have an ephiphany directly related to their ride about ways to address the root causes of poverty - something creative or truly inspiring. I think that for the most part though - the majority of us will have come back to our everyday lives, doing our best to be faithful in answering the call that God lays upon our hearts in ways large & small that generally make up our days. We will come back to our homes, families, jobs, careers, congregations having experienced something and knowing that what we did was important but only a small section on the long journey we call our lives. What comes next? I think that this was the question that another rider was posing on our email forum. Larry shared some thoughts about what the ride meant and was asking in some sense - "ok, now what? Now what are we to do with what we have learned & experienced this summer via the bike tour?" What if any will the long term impact be? What is the next step in our spiritual journey? How can I as I must, remain open to God's leading? How faithful am I being to carrying out my purpose in addressing these concerns in my everyday life as I obviously can't spend the rest of my life riding a bike across the world - even if it is for a good purpose?
I am continuing to ride - but at this point it is for health reasons more than anything. I am pretty sure I could ride in other fund raising events - although I would definitely prefer to have a touring bike to do that with. (I did have to return Lucy 2 back to her owner after the ride was over. Didn't have enough funds to keep her). I enjoy riding Lucy Blue - my hybrid - around the county - but still have a hard time getting up any kind of incline. I also prefer sitting up more or less straight if I am going to ride any great distance. Haven't done that yet. I'm riding about 80 or so miles a week to keep fit. Perhaps will have a day when I can head out for a loooong ride and then have Dave come pick me up.
In the meantime - I am as content as I ever have been and enjoying life back at home tending to our pets and the chickens. Wouldn't mind if Amber & Justin were closer to us but they are on their own paths in their own places so will keep in touch via phone, email and hopefully visits sooner rather than later.
There are other thoughts I've had about the trip -and I'll write them sooner or later - but for now, have to turn in - 6:30 comes quickly. I've maintained the early to bed - early to rise schedule since coming home - for the most part - and enjoy having the whole day to attend to things. Last week I was up later than usual since I was visiting friends, my sister and attending my niece's wedding but going to get back on track.
Peace & blessings to all this night -
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