July 13, 2009 HE ENDURED

ONE JOURNEY ENDS ANOTHER BEGINS

[from Gail]:
How do you say a journey has ended? Is it just because you have reached a destination? What makes that journey end, or does it? Old Chief had traveled over 3000 miles to complete a bike trip that was supposed to be just that. Ride his bicycle across America. Well he did it and it turned out to be more than he thought. But yet it isn’t. He had no expectations on what this trip was going to be except doing the ride. He started out raising funds for the American Cancer Society, World Foundation for HIV, and a local church youth group. Boy it turned out to be that and more. He has since met people he will never forget and hopefully they won’t forget him. He doesn’t know what it means or if he will ever find out but I have seen and heard him. His passion for what he was doing showed all the time. People listened and were not only impressed but I felt the awe from them when he talked about what he was doing. For the past two months we have traveled from California to Maine. The creator challenged him with some of the hottest weather and humidity no person should have to endure and he did. Then there was the wind that would seem to want to push him backwards, that he could count the ants walking on the road. He endured. Then there was the rain, thunder and lighting that was enough to make anyone want to quit. He endured. We traveled the same roads and passed the same scenery yet we both saw different things. At the end of the day we would share what we saw and the pictures we took. Not always the same, but all wonderful. Then he would talk about someone else who was riding in another direction or someone he met and the light in his eyes and the enthusiasm are contagious. He says he doesn’t know if he made a difference or touched anyone else’s life but I know he did. Mine was one of them and I know those he talked to will remember him for a long, long time in the future. His compassion and inner strength shows thru as he talks to people and in his presentations to groups. He will always be on a journey be it just to the park with his grandson Beau or on a trip to Washington to see family his life will always be full and looking for that one thing that will be different and wonderful.
I couldn’t have been prouder of him than when we got to Maine. It made us both cry just to say he did it.
Thank you to all of the wonderful people who were so dedicated to follow the blog, you made him want to do it and it made the trip a blast to do. To those of you who would call on a regular basis even as you followed the blog that always brightened up his day. Hearing from home, family and friends was awesome. To those we or I called at all hours of the day and night to report on something that was a WOW factor to us thanks for answering your phones you made the trip some much fun and it made it like you were here with us.
Again our thanks and love to everyone who followed the blog in any form, you were always on the trip with us and in our hearts.
Today the ceremony of riding the bike into the Atlantic and exchanging the sands will be just as emotional as every thing else on this awesome trip. We have missed our families and friends and will be home before August.
We love you all.
Yes the blog will continue till we get home.