A constant theme on our journey has been curiosity. Folks will pull over their cars, stop at gas stations, walk over to our dinner table, curious to ask us questions about our journey. One of the common questions has been, what have you learned? Of course, there are hundreds of answers to that question. For instance, I've learned that I have a deep affinity for mayonnaise that I'd never tapped into before- mayo goes great in just about every backcountry dinner menu!
One other answer to that question is one I've thought about often while riding. I've learned that a bicycle is one of the greatest blessings in my life. A bike can take you just about anywhere. And when it can't roll any longer, you can pick up your bike and carry it until it will. A bike will carry your groceries. It will drive you to work, and you'll notice things on your street you never would have turned your head towards in a car. It will help you save money instead of buying gas, insurance, oil changes, tune ups and endless repairs. Riding a bike will attract perfect strangers to walk over and ask you questions. A bike will help you stay fit, just by riding to work everyday. Your bike will take you on endless circles around the block when you are just having a no-good awful bad day. My bike has taught me how to be a stronger woman, how to fix every bit and piece of it. Any bike that has turning wheels will teach you something new if you just sit down in the saddle and let it roll.
This has been our constant motivation to ride on, even when our knees hurt, when our saddle sores were at their worst, when we were sick of more rice/beans/mayo/tuna dinners, and even when we were so close to the end and everything went wrong. We have to get those bikes for the Max Higbee Center, so we just kept riding. A bike is such a beautiful and rewarding thing to have and experience, and so easy. For us. A bike for the Max Higbee Center will change many people's lives. One of the many unfair things in the world is that bikes that are appropriate for folks with physical and/or developmental disabilities are expensive, inaccessible and hard to find. Tomorrow we will ride to the Mexico border, so elated that just a few more miles, just a few more pennies and we will have helped MHC get those bikes!
Already donated? Don't have the extra funds to spare? You can still contribute to the cause. We hope that by reading our stories you have been inspired to dust off that saddle and chain and get those wheels rolling. Already a cyclist? Grab your neighbor, your friend, that co-worker who's getting the winter/cubicle blues. Pick a destination, or don't. Teach someone how to fix a flat. Most of all, if your wheels roll you through Bellingham, be sure to look us up so that we can spoil you with all of the kindness we need to pass on!
Happy cycling all! And all you folks at MHC.....adaptive cycles here we goooo!!!!!!!
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