Category: Reflections

I’ve always learned a lot from young people. For thirty-five years I got paid (not a lot) to teach math to kids. I usually learned more from my students than they learned from me. For instance, one kid showed me how to “text” one-handed, during class, while your phone’s in the back pocket of your […]

People are incredibly generous. As we put the wraps on Front Range FREEDOM Tour and prepare to crank from Taos to Tucson I continue to be amazed at how freely folks share their time, talent, and treasure. The FREEDOM Tour team and their supporters donated more than $7,000 (after all expenses) to U COUNT Campaign […]

Becky came home a few days ago and asked a rather curious question. “What exactly IS Rich’s Ride?” Okay, it was a question someone asked her and she realized she didn’t have a succinct response. At first I dismissed it as a dumb question, but my classroom experience taught me “that’s a dumb question” usually […]

So maybe you’ve noticed the blogs aren’t arriving as frequently. Or maybe you haven’t. We’ve been reassessing how we do this thing called RICH’S RIDE. If you’re considering following a dream, perhaps this analysis will help your thinking. First, I’ve simplified the words in my diagram. Capacity represents what you can do. It’s your gifts, […]

When’s your next trip? I love how many times we’ve heard that question since we finished the FREEDOM Tour. People care. They’re part of the circle. They like what this crazy project represents. I wish we had a simple answer, but there’s nothing simple about taking an old bald guy in a wheelchair on the […]

Is every dream worth following? My friend Paul Merrill wrote about someone’s dream to restore a rusty 1969 Thunderbird and concluded It’s Not Going To Happen. Paul’s conclusion: It’s healthy to real­ize that some dreams are not going to hap­pen. What do you think? It’s easy to become enamored with a cool idea—restoring a car, […]

I used to tell my students the most important thing they could learn was how to learn. Mostly they’d stare back at me with that teenage eye-rolling look that says, “Will this be on the test?” It’s okay. I hope they discovered over time that learning doesn’t stop at graduation. When I complete a project […]

As I wrap up my reflection of the inaugural edition of Front Range FREEDOM Tour I’m struck by the different narratives I hear from riders and supporters. Some folks are certain God orchestrated every detail. Some believe it all came together because we worked hard or had good intentions. A few see a great, grand […]

If you’ve read Relentless Grace you might recall a scene in which Becky and I posed in front of a similar sign more than thirty years ago. Circumstances have changed, and this occasion has a much happier outcome. (And if you haven’t read Relentless Grace, may I ask what you’re waiting for?) Once in a […]

Can you imagine Jesus on Facebook? The Beatitudes as tweets? The Sermon on the Mount on YouTube? Just think of how many people He’d reach. I’ll bet Jesus would have more Twitter followers than Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift…combined! In the title song of the 1970’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas wonders why Jesus […]

Sometimes you really can’t get there from here. I’m putting the finishing touches on details of our daily routes, and I hit a significant snag. I’m blaming technology. It’s better for household harmony than blaming Becky, especially since she had nothing to do with it. I actually worked out the general layouts several weeks ago […]

When I began riding my hand cycle, it was all about survival. I didn’t try to ride well, or fast, or even better. I simply tried to get to the end of the route. It didn’t really occur to me that it might be any different. I was, after all, a quadriplegic. I was weak, […]