Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true”

 

Reflections on the ride holistically

 

It is only 24 hours since we dipped our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean to culminate a journey across the country than began only 7 weeks ago. In some ways it seems like yesterday and in other ways it was an eternity. We met as strangers on a common mission and departed as life-long friends who realized along the way that it was all about the journey and not the destination. As one who has done this twice, I’d say that the memories far outweigh any bragging rights to riding one’s bike across the country. Don’t get me wrong, it is hard and there is a sense of pride in the accomplishment, but what is lasting are memories etched in my mind of the people, places and struggles that ensued.

 

Some have said that this is a “life-changing event” and they may be right but I don’t think the “life-changing” applies to the folks who did the ride, but those who may be inspired because of it. I believe that change really occurs at the molecular level and becomes a part of our DNA. Some of us made decision along time ago to pursue getting in shape and most of us probably never dreamed of doing this at the time. However, people named Deeds and Floyd who proved that age was no barrier to athletic achievement inspired me.

 

My hope is that others may take a degree of inspiration from my ride and use it as a source of inspiration for whatever their dreams maybe. On my certificate of completion is written, “Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true”.

 

I think that a Marianne Williamson quote summed it up best regarding our ability to inspire others:

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 

 

Two years ago, almost all the riders said with just a couple days to go,” I just want this to be over”. A few days prior to that John F had crashed and was hospitalized for a considerable length of time. Our group’s spirit crashed along with John and our heart was just not in it for the last few days. I did send out a message to the entire group though and used the lyrics from a Trace Adkins’ song, “You’re Gonna Miss This.

 

You’re gonna miss this

You’re gonna want this back

You’re gonna wish these days

Hadn’t gone by so fast

These are some good times

So take a good look around

You may not know it now

But you’re gonna miss this

I know from talking to many of the riders from xc-12 that these words proved true. John F came back and finished the ride last year and after his ride was over almost a year ago to the day, I signed up for the cross country ride in 2014. When my orange flag blew off my bike in Erie, my replacement flag was one with the name “John” on it that had been taken off his bike when he crashed. I was told that he couldn’t have a flag on his bike in 2013 because of limited hip mobility. The flag rightfully belongs to John and I will send it to him when I get home.

Will there be another ride in the future? At this stage, I don’t know but I can honestly say that I hope so. I was 2 years older but the second time seemed easier. However, it was still daunting and on some days extremely difficult. There are some things that I would do differently and some things that worked out well that I will expound on in another post

However, I would like to thank Tracy and her staff for another awesome experience. They treat us like family and I can’t say enough good things about CrossRoads and the staff. Tracy has a great crew of good people who care about each and every one of the riders. Their smiles warmed us on cold days and we all looked forward to the “toots” from the two vans as they passed us on the road. Carol, Robin, Jan and Eileen were always a joy to be around. Rick, Tom and Larry were always helpful and encouraging. They are the best and they will all be missed

Tailwinds

Chuck