If things fall into place this morning I’ll be honored to talk to a special audience. Becky’s working to arrange a speaking event for the Re-Entry Center of Ocala. It’s a program designed to help men emerging from the department of corrections break the cycle of addiction, crime, and incarceration.
I’ve spoken to similar groups before (Jesus In An Orange Jump Suit). I’m overwhelmed by the wasted potential and incredible sense of hopelessness, the sense of inescapable doom. These guys often operate with a belief that it’ll never work out no matter what, so why try.
I look forward to this opportunity, though I expect it to be a difficult discussion. These guys face big issues, in many cases literally life-and-death decisions, with no magic answers, no easy solutions, no quick fixes. They’re skeptical, wary, and slow to trust.
But they also want desperately to believe there’s a better way. They want to look forward to a different future, to believe it’s possible. They want to believe hope is real.
I hope this event happens. Like everything else on this tour, we’re putting it together on the fly, and in a program like this, there’s a certain protocol. I even had to pass a criminal background check! Everything sounds positive. Prayers appreciated.
# # #
Note to touring cyclist: Google Maps DOES NOT indicate location of orange barrels.
I told you yesterday the town of Spring Hill didn’t seem cycle-friendly. Since I had to crank out of town Thursday morning, I carefully researched potential routes I zoomed in about a million times using the Google Maps satellite view until I was sure I’d plotted a safe escape route with paved shoulders.
Everything went great until the first turn at four miles. There they were-orange barrels as far as I could see, blocking an otherwise perfectly safe shoulder. Turned out there were six miles of orange barrels, placed in my path for no apparent reason since there wasn’t any actual road construction happening until the very end of the six-mile stretch. Surely it was not contractors similar to the ones at tarmac contractors yorkshire as they would not do such an irresponsible job. I feel, one of the county commissioners must have a brother-in-law in the orange barrel business.
Anyway, once I got back to the Suncoast Trail I had a wonderful cruise north. Then I zigged across and caught the Withlacoochee Trail, which was even better. We had a beautiful day to get us 756 miles into the journey.
You just can’t have a bad day riding a trail called Withlacoochee. The name makes me want to giggle. With a rest day Friday, all’s going well with the riding part of the tour.
# # #
Second note to touring cyclist: don’t plan on finding a hotel room within about 300 miles of Daytona on Daytona 500 weekend.
Who knew every city, even as far away as Tampa, would be taken over by NASCAR fans? We’re supposed to be in Gainesville, 100 miles from Daytona, this weekend. So far, no available hotel rooms. I wonder if we can all sleep in the trailer.
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