After four glorious days of cycling, Colorado Mountain Tour has concluded. The team cranked more than 240 miles and climbed 18,000+ feet, but those numbers don’t really capture what the tour was about. This year’s team put a special emphasis on the Hope Rocks, sharing them with people we met along the journey, using them […]
Continue readingMore TagAuthor: Rich
Necessary Conversations
You might have noticed a renewed interest in the topic of human trafficking. We’re grateful for increased awareness and for the conversations that awareness will generate. As leaders of THE FREEDOM TOUR, we’ve partnered with Project Rescue since 2013 as they work against the horrible evil of human trafficking (AKA modern-day slavery). I thought it […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Something To Ponder
“Sometimes you have to do what you don’t have to do.” I love encountering this sort of quote. I’ve been ruminating about it for a few days, trying to figure out what I might say. I came down to this question: What’s something I have to do, that I don’t have to do? Before I […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Independence Day
I did my own alternative Independence Day celebration yesterday. No fireworks or hot dogs or flag waving. You probably won’t be surprised that it involved riding my bike or that it was about independence for the kids at the Home of Hope. This picture is a spot in the foothills called Horsetooth Mountain Park. It’s […]
Continue readingMore Tag
72. Done!
Well, we did it! Becky and I had a lot of fun “riding my age” on Tuesday. That doesn’t mean it was easy to do 72 miles on my 72nd birthday, but easy wasn’t the point. We did a big loop around Loveland/Fort Collins and then a smaller loop around Fort Collins to finish the […]
Continue readingMore Tag
72
As cyclists get older, they start talking about “riding their age” on their birthday. A 49-year-old will ride 49 miles, and then continue it each year. One more mile doesn’t sound like much until you get to 65 years old riding 65 miles. When you enter my age group, riding your age is a bit […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Overwhelmed
The 11th annual FREEDOM TOUR CLASSIC happened Saturday. In the aftermath, someone asked me how I felt about the day. I replied, “It probably could have gone better, but I don’t know how!” Colorado has been unseasonably rainy all spring, and we were concerned how about the weather. The day turned out warm, sunny, and […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Drama
Ever notice how it’s almost a cultural norm to slow down and look at a car wreck? Happens in lots of places. Much of what passes for news is metaphorical car wrecks, because advertisers and producers know we’ll slow down and watch. On the other hand, nobody’s clamoring to watch a kid coding a cool […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Fruit
A friend said last week that you don’t need to put a sign in front of an apple tree to know it’s an apple tree. You know it’s an apple tree because it produces apples. We have crosses on our FREEDOM TOUR jerseys. They’re a symbol, a proclamation about who we represent. But my friend’s […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Bought? Or Sold?
When kids are enslaved in brothels, are they bought…or are they sold? To me, it’s a curious question. Without demand this entire sordid business couldn’t flourish as it does. In that sense children are bought like any other commodity in any other marketplace. But on the other side of the equation, marketers work to supply […]
Continue readingMore TagWho Cares?
I’m grateful for people who care. It’s a lot easier to not care, to look away, to pretend the needs aren’t there. Not caring lets us off the hook. We don’t have to do anything. Caring means a chance to be involved and make a difference, a chance to contribute. I’m grateful for you because […]
Continue readingMore Tag
Wants And Culture
Someone suggested an interesting exercise. First, make a list of what you really want. Next, make a check next to the items obviously generated by cultural norms. Finally, mark the items that represent actual needs. How much of what we want actually flows from our cultural ideas? How often do we let the culture turn […]
Continue readingMore Tag