The FREEDOM TOUR is all about stories. Well, it’s really about people, but the people all have cool stories. This thing that isn’t a bike ride attracts all sorts of interesting people who contribute in their own special manner. Greg was one of those folks. I “met” Greg online several years ago in the process […]
Continue readingAuthor: Rich
What Do You Do When You’re Angry?
I want to pound the table. I want to shout, throw things, start a fight. I want to fill my social media with angry, sarcastic, indignant reactions. That’s what I want to do when I see injustice, when the words and acts of others harm innocent bystanders. Human trafficking. Racism. Sexism. Religious intolerance. Poverty. Needless mass incarceration. […]
Continue readingHow Did This Happen?
You can’t do something like this without a bit of looking back. When Becky and I proposed the FREEDOM TOUR three years ago we were absolutely sure it was a great idea. We thought someone else would grab the vision and run with it. Truthfully, we desperately wanted somebody to tell us what to do. Lesson: […]
Continue readingYou’re Crazy. Tell Me More!
One of our FREEDOM TOUR team members commented on an interesting perspective. Before the ride: “Are you crazy?? 500 miles in 8 days? You have to be out of your mind!!? After the ride: “You all really are crazy!! But, by the way, congratulations – and can you tell us more about the Home Of […]
Continue readingRehearse
HAPPY MONDAY! See if you agree about today’s word-of-the-week… REHEARSE I wonder if our life’s determined by what we rehearse. An actor reads the lines once and they’re words on a page. Great actors rehearse until they become the character represented by the words. One person looks at a long bike ride and says, “I could never do that.” […]
Continue readingYour Job Or Your Life?
Why are you going to Ordway? As people looked at our route map, that was one of the common questions. Ordway is a small ranching community on Colorado’s eastern plains. It’s the pronounced “lump” in our meandering course along the Front Range. Why Ordway? involved an invitation we couldn’t refuse. It’s a long story, but I’d […]
Continue readingWho Gets In The Circle?
We invest a lot of energy in differences. Differences are an easy way to circle the wagons and close ranks. People like them don’t belong here. These pictures look pretty similar, at first. Wristbands, arms, hands together. On the left, the hands of the FREEDOM TOUR team on the day we climbed Raton Pass. On […]
Continue readingWhat’s Next?
Now THAT’S a crazy question, right? Except, it’s not. Or perhaps a better way to say it would be “How do we continue?” It’s a simple notion. The Home Of Hope is still open, the kids still need food, clothes, education, and shelter. None of that stopped at the top of Raton Pass. So, as crazy […]
Continue readingAgree
HAPPY MONDAY! Recent events got me thinking about today’s word-of-the-week… AGREE Wouldn’t it be great if we could all agree on every issue? Sadly, The Good Ship Lollipop hasn’t sailed down my street recently and I haven’t taken up residence in Fantasyland. Since I don’t live in a bubble, I’m going to encounter people with whom I disagree. In fact, I’d argue […]
Continue readingThe Tradition Of Obstacles
Nobody planned the tradition of obstacles. In fact, this particular tradition could fade away and we would be happy. However, it has made for interesting stories. In 2013 the team ended up in a snake-infested field. Okay, maybe “infested” is a bit strong, but they carried road bikes across a meadow and over at least one […]
Continue readingRaton Pass 2015 (Video)
Last Saturday our team climbed Raton Pass. Before the final ride, we reminded ourselves why we were doing this difficult thing. We talked about the kids at the Home of Hope. We remembered the people who helped us along the way. We prayed for all those who are still trapped by the horrors of human trafficking. After […]
Continue readingThe Awesome Power Of Simple
I’d like you to meet Ed. Ed and his wife Barbara operate The Refuge, an incredible retreat center in the foothills above Trinidad. They were kind enough to host our team on the final night of our tour. The Refuge is authentic adobe construction. Ed build most of the building himself over a period of twenty-five years. Ed […]
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