If you wish to convince a man of anything, you must first convince him you are his friend. -Abraham Lincoln I believe what unites us matters ore than what divides us. Leaders too frequently have an interest in highlighting differences. Their power derives from creating a defined group of followers, and they work hard to […]
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Six Things You Shouldn’t Say To A Handcyclist
A handcycle is different, and different things attract attention. I’ll confess that it took some time to appreciate that attention and perceive it as an opportunity. I had to learn to smile when people stare and point. Different things like handcycles and wheelchairs occasionally make others uncomfortable. I’ve heard some pretty crazy things as people […]
Continue readingMore TagDo You Share The Road?
Recently a project got me digging in the depths of the Bouncing Back archives. It’s dusty in there! Hard to believe I’ve accumulated more than 1,000 posts in nearly five years, and that doesn’t include the stuff here at RICH’S RIDE. As I looked through those old articles it seemed there might be some ideas worth […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat If It’s A Beginning?
Retirement has certain blessings. One of those involves returning to my former school as a guest speaker and observing looks of envy on the faces of previous colleagues. I tried not to talk about the sense of freedom and the winter trip to Florida—okay, I didn’t try very hard. What’s the point of having an […]
Continue readingMore TagOne Tin Soldier
My thoughts about The Easy Button reminded me of a 1971 cult movie called Billy Jack. If you haven’t seen the film, you might recognize its theme song One Tin Soldier. Tom Laughlin plays a native-American Green Beret Vietnam veteran. The film centers on cultural conflict between leaders of an Indian reservation school and corrupt, […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Easy Button
As folks in the Boston area begin to put the pieces back together, I notice a nearly universal phenomenon following tragedies: the search for an “easy button.” We want THE answer, happy endings, a fast fix. And mostly, they don’t exist. In real life, there’s rarely an easy button. When faced with significant loss, people […]
Continue readingMore TagA Tale Of Two Pictures
I recently had the honor of speaking to my church’s Prime Time group. They’re in the prime of life—past age 55 and eager to deploy their accumulated wisdom and experience in service. I shared a story centered around two images. The first image was a hospital hallway about five weeks after my injury. Therapists loaded […]
Continue readingMore TagHow Did You Know For Sure?
A few months ago I spoke at a high school about following God-sized dreams. In the Q&A time a young lady asked, “How did you know FOR SURE this was what God wanted you to do?” I didn’t have a quick response, but if you’re going to encourage young folks to take risks and follow […]
Continue readingMore TagGiving Away Light
We debriefed the Florida tour with friends a few evenings back and someone asked an interesting question. “How do you keep from getting dragged down by all the pain and need you encounter, especially in the groups you spoke to on this trip?” Good question, and as usual I didn’t have an immediate response. I […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat’s It Look Like When You Don’t Know They’re Watching?
It was an ordinary Monday morning—if there is such a thing—on the RICH’S RIDE Florida tour. I tried to look casual about the awkward process of climbing onto the bike. Monte watched, hoping for an invitation to grab his leash and join the morning run. Becky pumped tires, arranged equipment, and did a million things […]
Continue readingMore TagFinding Friendly Eyes
When I speak to a group, I try to connect with eyes. No matter the size of the audience, I usually find a few sets of eyes that seem responsive and in tune with my message. When I need a little reassurance or a sense of how things are going, those friendly eyes become my […]
Continue readingMore TagFred And Joan
RICH’S RIDE is about people, and we’re blessed to meet interesting folks in a variety of settings. Fred and Joan wondered about the trailer, the dog, and the odd-looking bike. We’d stopped by the beach for a food/water break on day 2 of the Florida tour. Monte was still trying to make sense of the […]
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