Have you ever been angry with God? Last week I spoke to an amazing group of kids. Reality Youth Center serves young people from tough environments. Poverty, abuse, neglect, absent parents—nearly every member of the audience has experienced a challenging childhood. After I told them about my injury, I confessed that I spent a lot […]
Continue readingSafety Net
I thought I trained pretty hard for this ride. After cranking a few weeks, I realize that the training isn’t the same as the real thing. It’s too easy to cut a ride short when I get tired. My route can be adjusted depending on the wind. I can avoid really tough hills. If the […]
Continue readingDaily
Happy Monday! Today we begin week 6 of Rich’s Ride. Here’s an unusual word-of-the-week… DAILY …as in “daily bread.” We’ve tried everything to plan ahead even a few days, but we’re discovering that this project seems to unfold one day at a time. Each time we think we have a handle on the next few days, […]
Continue readingGlamorous Dreams
Every Monday while I’m on this crazy ride I’m sharing some reflections about the Mississippi River as a metaphor for a dream. You can see previous articles here. * * * * * The river isn’t all glamorous. Some stretches are glorious—sun shimmering across bright blue water, picturesque tugs skillfully maneuvering barges through the locks, lovely waterfront […]
Continue readingTraveling Well
“It’s about the journey, not the result.” Thursday’s ride was about as routine as it gets. Pretty straight roads, wide shoulders, a fair amount of traffic, hills were long and gradual—I hardly shifted gears during much of the ride. Friday brought country roads, absolutely no shoulders or traffic, and steep hills. I either crawled up […]
Continue readingFriday
It’s Friday. The ride is going great. I’ve been trying hard to keep the blog going on schedule. Today, it ain’t happening. Sleep.
Continue readingSongs
Honestly–this post won’t amount to much. I rode 52 miles Thursday, from Carbondale to Cape Girerdeau. It was a great ride, but I’m pretty tired. So we grabbed an early dinner and I’m hitting the pillow. You know how songs get stuck in your head? It happens to me nearly every day, and four or […]
Continue readingNever Give Up? Really?
Is it ever good to quit? I spoke to kids today at Trinity Christian HS in Carbondale. When I finished I asked them what message they got from my ramblings. They had lots of great responses—I think they actually listened. But one boy said something that’s had me thinking. He said, “Never give up.” That’s […]
Continue readingGet A Job
Hi. It’s Monte again, giving Rich a break. You can read my other articles here. * * * * * Last week I told you we’re involved in something called a “project.” I don’t really understand; I don’t think dogs do projects. But I it sounds like something I’d like. Rich and I don’t go […]
Continue readingAnother Silly Distraction
A few days ago I did a beautiful ride along the Illinois side of the river north of St Louis. As I traveled south, lots of cyclists traveled north as part of a one-day century ride. I caught myself wondering who had the easier ride. I rode slightly downhill with the river, but into a […]
Continue readingDone With The Chair
Becky and I have this morbid humor between us about some of the things we say related to disability. We chuckle when she asks me to “run to the store” or tells me “don’t step on Monte’s tail.” The other day I was getting on my bike, using my wheelchair for balance. Becky asked, “Are […]
Continue readingOld Chain Of Rocks Bridge
We stayed an extra day in St Louis to ride across the Old Chain Of Rocks Bridge and along the Riverfront Trail. When we originally planned this visit some local cyclists talked about ridkng with me. That didn’t work out, but we decided to do this ride anyway. So come along for the ride. I […]
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