So it goes without saying that I have an incredibly supportive family. My wife and children are my rock and my life raft, my light house, everything that can possibly keep me afloat in this life. Amy serves as the Executive Director of Connor's Army and maintains the website, solicits sponsors, provides logistics for the various rides we've done and generally goes above and beyond.
My children, likewise have embraced the idea of traveling cross country with open arms. Although they know they'll be cooped up in a van for long hours on the road they are looking forward to "helping daddy ride cross country for the children with cancer" and are already talking about how they want to ride part of the ride with me. Of course it will be along a very wide-shouldered road in the middle of Kansas with no traffic, sort of like this;
And mama (i.e., Executive Director Amy) will be driving slowly behind us to make sure marauding tractors are not sneaking up behind us on route to pillaging their corn crops;
Well I can tell you, if we see that behind us we'll have to pop out the emergency flares and also the large laminated poster of this diagram that will also hold the disclaimer IF YOU CAN READ THIS YOU'RE WAAAAAYYYYYY TOO CLOSE!
Needless to say, the family is excited about doing this together - sort of like a familial Mitzvah Project. Now according to JewishJournal.com, when you choose a Mitzvah Project you have to ask the essential question "Why are we engaging in this project?" They explain it thusly;
1) Mitzvah projects redirect resources from consumption to tikkun olam.
The bar/bat mitzvah is a peak experience in our Jewish lives worthy of attention and celebration. During this time of increased consumption, a mitzvah project redirects some of our resources (our money, our time, our energy) toward social justice. It reminds us that the celebration of the bar/bat mitzvah student amid centerpieces, flowers and balloons is not only a celebration of age and accomplishment but also a celebration of his/her capacity to heal the world.
2) Mitzvah projects help us to express gratitude.
Saying “thank you” for all of life’s gifts won’t fit into the last few paragraphs of a student’s d’var Torah. At the moments when we are most aware of our blessings, mitzvah projects help us to concretize our feelings of gratitude through service to others. Sometimes, words are not enough; we need to act.
3) Mitzvah projects teach us how to live words of the Torah.
We can talk about the pursuit of justice (Deuteronomy 16:20), and then we can invite a student to Walk for Darfur or Race for the Cure. Ultimately, we are meant to live words of the Torah, not just discuss them. Mitzvah projects help us to embody and express our highest Jewish values, breathing life and giving modern-day form to an ancient tradition.
Now I can't say that this project is for our Bat/Bar Mitzvah or that we will be consumming inordinate amounts of anything (okay, I may eat a little more to replenish all the calories but I'll try to keep it down) and I can't promise that I will particularly ruminate on the words of the Torah (I may just keep repeating "I think I Can, I think I Can, I think I Can" across most of Kansas and Missouri). However I do know that this will be a way for our family to express our gratitude for our health and the health of all the children in our family as well as the adults in our life who have been affected by cancer.
For us this journey is a Mitzvah (for my friends and followers who are not Jewish the definition is Mitzvah - Literally translated, a mitzvah is a commandment. This word is often incorrectly used loosely to mean “good deed.” The Torah contains at least 613 individual commandments for Am Yisrael. The purpose of a mitzvah is to help the individual and the nation come closer to God and to holiness.) in the sense that we want to give back to the world. We want to show our gratitude to what life has done for us and do it on two wheels.
But, in the true spirit of Shameless Promotion, I have to beg, beg, beg, beg anyone who is reading this today (or tomorrow or next week or ever) to encourage their friends to become a follower of this blog. I will take reader suggestions (as long as they are not too scatalogical or non-family oriented) on subjects for future musings and I will try to tie them into cycling or the trip we are planning. BUT I PROMISE I WILL DIGRESS!!!!! I wouldn't be me if I didn't.
So, help me plug away. For any of you that have ideas on how to promote our Mitzvah please feel free to share your ideas (thank you Jason, we are checking into the new channel idea) and ESPECIALLY any contacts you have to philanthropically minded businesses or potential sponsors - Bicycle Suppliers, Bike Shops, Bike Wear distributors (anyone have a connection to Hincapie?), Gas Companies, Hotel Chains, any of these types of businesses who would like to give "in kind" donations, anything of that nature. We really can't do this without the financial help. Its not for our gain, its for the gain of the children. What do you say?
Well, with any luck this rain will let up tonight and Betty (or Pearl) and I can ride in tomorrow. Can you believe we're closing in on 2000 miles logged since January 1 and its not even October yet? (well, technically)
Stay well my friends and let's get those sponsors!
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