5/26 Charlotte Day 2: Davidson Build Day
Working with Hammers, a local affordable housing group for the elderly and disabled, we helped restore a deteriorating ceiling. It was a smooth progression with the helping hands of 31 cyclists and 2 construction site supervisors. In the evening, we enjoyed a nice pool party at the courtesy of Zach, one of the initial trip coordinators when our route began, while Anna's parents provided dinner. Thank you guys!
Working with Hammers, a local affordable housing group for the elderly and disabled, we helped restore a deteriorating ceiling. It was a smooth progression with the helping hands of 31 cyclists and 2 construction site supervisors. In the evening, we enjoyed a nice pool party at the courtesy of Zach, one of the initial trip coordinators when our route began, while Anna's parents provided dinner. Thank you guys!
5/27 Forest City: If that makes any sense
I've been feeling burnt out lately from the sheer amount of biking we've been doing. Our mileage has been about 90+ for the last couple of ride days because of reroutes. I think its mostly mental exhaustion so I'll just need to remember to take the hills one at a time.
So, here are a few moments from today:
In the morning, while riding with Andrew, Cindy, and Sarah, I took a quick stop and figured I'd catch up with them. 15 miles later and physically exhausted from trying to catch up with no success I take a quick stop to check out where lunch is. Andy and Dennis at this point catch up to me and told me I was at the front of the pack...Hmmm...my bad.
From ahead, all I heard was someone screaming in a sort of crazed lunatic way. So, maybe a lunatic was chasing us? Nope...just Andy chasing a dog that was chasing us. Awesome.
We passed by a house with a mechanical cyclist model made of all sorts of scrap metals that had a motion sensor. When we passed, it waved to us. I dig that.
1+2) 31 of us decide to uproot a tree with our tremendous strength, while close by baby huskies are frolicking.
I've been feeling burnt out lately from the sheer amount of biking we've been doing. Our mileage has been about 90+ for the last couple of ride days because of reroutes. I think its mostly mental exhaustion so I'll just need to remember to take the hills one at a time.
So, here are a few moments from today:
In the morning, while riding with Andrew, Cindy, and Sarah, I took a quick stop and figured I'd catch up with them. 15 miles later and physically exhausted from trying to catch up with no success I take a quick stop to check out where lunch is. Andy and Dennis at this point catch up to me and told me I was at the front of the pack...Hmmm...my bad.
From ahead, all I heard was someone screaming in a sort of crazed lunatic way. So, maybe a lunatic was chasing us? Nope...just Andy chasing a dog that was chasing us. Awesome.
We passed by a house with a mechanical cyclist model made of all sorts of scrap metals that had a motion sensor. When we passed, it waved to us. I dig that.
1+2) 31 of us decide to uproot a tree with our tremendous strength, while close by baby huskies are frolicking.
5/28
Asheville: A change in scenery
The ride to Asheville was quite amazing. The scenery was beautiful. I dig the outdoors. The towns we went through were small and quaint in nature. The ascent was several miles long, which well was mentally brutal, but the descent was worth every bit of it. Cruising down the hill during warm weather, under the shade of the surrounding tall trees, on a perfectly paved road that twisted and turned was sweeeeeet =].
Asheville: A change in scenery
The ride to Asheville was quite amazing. The scenery was beautiful. I dig the outdoors. The towns we went through were small and quaint in nature. The ascent was several miles long, which well was mentally brutal, but the descent was worth every bit of it. Cruising down the hill during warm weather, under the shade of the surrounding tall trees, on a perfectly paved road that twisted and turned was sweeeeeet =].
1) Danielle and Michelle are biking up a steep hill...and no they aren't usually smiling when they bike up hill
2 + 3) We reach Lake Lure with its beautiful scenery. group and single pic
4) Brother bear and me at Chimney Rock
5) The continental divide where the awesome descent began as well
6) Shout out! Hollah!
5/29/09
Asheville Day 2: Ramps are us
A group of 10 of us biked to the site 3 miles out. Our project was to construct a ramp for an elderly disabled woman. Although she didn't like to pose for pictures, I took them anyways lol. She was very sweet and kind. Starting around 8am, we finished at 3pm.
When I was younger, I use to help my parents fix and restore a couple of properties that we owned. I never liked it back then because I always though it laborious. Who wants to fix a house up when you can play outside with your friends? But, here I am biking across the country and the doing the same thing. I didn't realize at the time how much my parents needed the help nor how much it meant, but I do now.
Asheville Day 2: Ramps are us
A group of 10 of us biked to the site 3 miles out. Our project was to construct a ramp for an elderly disabled woman. Although she didn't like to pose for pictures, I took them anyways lol. She was very sweet and kind. Starting around 8am, we finished at 3pm.
When I was younger, I use to help my parents fix and restore a couple of properties that we owned. I never liked it back then because I always though it laborious. Who wants to fix a house up when you can play outside with your friends? But, here I am biking across the country and the doing the same thing. I didn't realize at the time how much my parents needed the help nor how much it meant, but I do now.
One last thought. Working with several local affordable housing groups has been great. I do it because I enjoy it. I get to meet new people, learn new things, and help others. Yet, sometimes I wonder if our efforts have really made a contribution. All of us have relied on someone, and in the future will mostly likely need to again. We are all very similar in that aspect, but I think what really counts is what you take from that experience. I truly hope that the people we are fighting for are helping themselves out as well. It's just the honest truth that perhaps a significant amount of the people we will be helping out are taking us for granted. They'll meet the statistical credentials, but won't try to recover from their current state. They may even be discouraged from getting a job because once they do they'll pass the limitation on income and will lose their aid. I don't believe doesn't apply to everyone though. Some people are doing everything right, but everything wrong may just be happening. This is our cause and it is for these people that we will continue to hope to make a genuine difference.
We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.
~Herman Melville
Yea, I sympathize with your hoping that all of the good you all are doing is really making the difference and impact that is could. Just keep smiling and knowing that you are making a difference somewhere. Even if you just touch one person or if you only help yourself to come closer to discovering what really matters in life, you are are truly fighting for a wonderful cause. Maybe I'll write "Nhan Rocks" (with an accompanying smiley face of course) on my car instead of "Clean Me"....lol
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you are helping people and trying to make a difference in their lives. You can't control what they do after you help them (you can only do so much), but don't let it discourage you!
ReplyDeleteI feel similar when I volunteer- I think I'm learning a lot more than I could ever give. We have to take these experiences and let them change how we live. So glad your experience has been deepening your consciousness of the world =)
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