Another Reason to Ride

Today is a mixture of emotions for me. I realize that when I first started writing this blog it was basically just to update everyone on how the year-long Connor's Army effort was going. As I started to gear up for this year's Victory Ride - CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S ONLY IN 6 DAYS? - I initially began writing this blog again to let you all know how it was going, what we needed and how YOU could help. Well, that hasn't changed but my life has.

However, the last two weeks I have been side tracked by a series of family tragedies. I honestly can't say that I have much motivation to do anything but get on my bike and crank the pedals - and be so grateful for my children and my wife. I know that my family is with me and they support me but it has been rough on them, especially for the few times that I haven't been able to control my anger and it just busts out of me - but I am getting better. My wife is probably the most supportive person I could ever wish for - even if she doesn't always think she is. I am a very lucky man.

Anyway, today it has been one week since I became aware of the double whammy of the passing of my Aunt Janice from cancer. I'm still pissed at cancer and I'm still wanting to do something more. How could cancer take this wonderful woman out like that? Here is a picture of her in younger days. In my head this is how I remember her.

Now, in six days I'll be able to do a little bit as I ride to raise money so kids with cancer can have the chance to just be kids for the summer as I was able to be a kid when I stayed with Aunt Janice. It's a little depressing because the money (or the riders) are not coming in as I had hoped they would. We really need more people to ride to show support for these kids and if we (okay, especially ME) could just get some more sponsors it would be such a help to these kids. We really are hoping to be able to raise $6,000 - the cost of one camper!

Yesterday (actually this morning) I also became aware of another reason to ride and on my ride in this morning it had me in tears every time I thought about it. David's widow Ronda sent me an e-mail that was responding to one of these posts and what she wrote touched me and made me even more determined than ever to use my bicycle to make a difference. She wrote;

"I was told a story by a good friend of David's and know I know why David did this. His friend Dave Pearson told me a story about when David worked for Wilburn's, he said David went out and bought a bicycle and rode it to work and he did this a few times but realized he did not have the strength, or let's say the the energy, to ride the hills to get to work. He was trying to be like his big brother and ride his bicycle where he needed to go, and I think a part of that was to also lose weight."

I never knew that he had done that and I'm sure not many people knew it either. Now it will be too late for me to ever be able to go on a ride with him. Had things been different and I had known about this, I would have made it a point to ride through Knoxville next year on the cross country ride and spend some time riding beside my little brother. That's not possible now but I will ride as much as I can and try to ride to make a difference in someone's life. And if I can work it out, I will still try to ride through Knoxville and know that David's spirit will be riding with me for he has certainly just made a difference in my life.

So if you're reading this please help us out in one of three ways;

1) Sign up to ride with us next Sunday,
2) Sponsor me online and I'll ride for you,
3) Tell your friends about what we're trying to do and encourage them either to ride or sponsor me!

Any of the ways you can will make a difference in the life of a child and will make certain that they'll have a summer to remember!

Stay well and I'll see you on the road.