The Road Ahead

It's been a month now since I held the Ride For Doug, and I haven't updated my blog yet with it. This truely isn't fair. It was an extremely moving experience to be part of that whole day, and it deserves it's time in print. So here we go.

The Ride For Doug was an emotional roller coaster. Did I plan for enough riders, is anyone going to show up? Will I have to worry about attitudes and safety during the ride? What if someone crashes or gets lost? What if people don't have fun? What am I overlooking? Will I be able to hold it together the whole time?

You know what? Once we finally got rolling - all of those worries vanished. It was an incredible day of riding. 17 bikes with friends, relatives, and strangers - all riding for a single purpose. It seems really shallow - but the simple action of a dozen and a half bikes riding down the road together moved me in ways that I cannot put into words.

At more than one point in the ride, I was almost moved to tears. I may have been - if real men didn't cry. (it gets the leather wet) I can clearly remember riding down 16th avenue and looking into my rear view mirror and seeing a line of bikes stretching back into the distance. I looked back, and I knew that I was not alone. By the simple action of riding with me for one afternoon, all of these people were telling me that they were behind me. Behind Doug.

At more than one time, I looked forward - and what did I see? Blind corners, potholes, cars in the oncoming lane, or lurking in driveways. Danger, peril, and uncertainty lined the road ahead. But all it took was a quick glance back to remind me of why I was there. I was riding for Doug. And I am not riding alone.