I think a self-driving car would be cool. In college, I commuted with an electrical engineering student. Jack was convinced that we’d see self-driving cars within a few years. He spent countless hours telling me how they would work. I don’t recall details, but I remember there were two notions about guidance. The first was […]
Continue readingCategory: Rich’s Ride
Thankful
“Gratitude turns what we have…into enough.” A lot of us are sort of recovering from a day of feasting and celebrating and giving thanks. For many folks, today will be about leftovers and turkey sandwiches and, of course, football. I’ve been pondering what it means to be truly thankful in the midst of abundance. I […]
Continue readingA Break
Not much happening, including writing, right now. After being SO careful, COVID invaded our house. Becky recovered quickly, I’m slogging along more slowly. Hopefully I’ll be back to whatever normal means in a day or two. Stay safe. Have a great weekend.
Continue readingHealing
I spoke last week via zoom to a class of undergrad students preparing to be chaplains, pastors, and other sorts of care-givers. To prepare, I read a book by Amy Kenny: My Body Is Not A Prayer Request. Curious title, huh? Got me wondering if other people see me and my injury as a prayer […]
Continue reading2023 Classic Video
The FREEDOM TOUR is a lot of fun. It’s serious work, because we’re always mindful of the kids we support. But when we finally get together, everyone has a blast. Here’s a short video to give you an idea of what FREEDOM TOUR CLASSIC 2023 was about. I hope it makes you smile, and I […]
Continue reading“Independence”
People do a lot of kind things so I can be “independent.” My bike has a unique brake, similar to an old-school coaster brake on a kid’s bike. It allows me to pedal backwards to stop without removing my hands from the cranks. Very cool. The drawback – I can’t reverse the cranks or roll […]
Continue readingHope In The Mirror
“You often find hope by looking back.” I talked a while back to a guy whose life took an unexpected turn. He was scared, and asked how I dealt with uncertainty in the aftermath of my injury. I told him I dealt with it very badly – 10 years of anger, depression, denial. Basically lost […]
Continue readingHow To Pray
American teenager Coco Gauff won the US Open Tennis Tournament on Saturday. A wonderful accomplishment, for sure, but most impressive was her post-match interview. After kneeling briefly to pray, this articulate young woman skipped the typical platitudes and spoke clearly about faith, family, and overcoming adversity. When the interviewer inquired about the prayer, Ms. Gauff […]
Continue readingPray In School
(Sounds like it might be controversial. It’s not.) A lot of what I know, I learned from kids. That happens when you hang out in classrooms for 35 years. If you listen to them, they tell you lots of interesting stuff. I’ve told you before about a question many students asked. I recall one instance. […]
Continue readingRisky Or Hard?
When you talk to people about bike tours, there’s a lot of conversation about what’s hard. My friend Jim says riding a bike for a worthy cause really isn’t a big deal. What’s hard for Jim is taking time away from his family. Some folks look at the route and decide it’s impossible. Others think […]
Continue readingLosing Vision
Last time I said handcycling had become more about results than process. A reader gently reminded me that perhaps I was being a bit short-sighted. I appreciated the conversation and an opportunity to look deeper. We can’t know, on this side of eternity, the long-term results of our efforts. We do what we can, with […]
Continue readingSomething 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 […]
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