First Entry
May 26, 2005
Well I figured it was about time to write a little something in the journal. But the truth is that there’s much more than just a little to say. If you didn’t already know it I am the travel leader for the Rocky route. I work with some great committee members: Channing, JJ, Chris, Nick and (sometimes) Brett. Together our task is first to plan how our group is going to make it to Anchorage by skipping from one town to another without using any major highways. Once we figure this out we are responsible for finding people who will house and feed us. And then we also need to find local hospitals (just in case) we need to find extra food and water (for free), and we also need to make maps and organize all of the details. We are by far the largest committee and it takes a lot of effort by those mentioned above to get it done.
And you know, you would think that people may be a little skeptical about housing and feeding a bunch of college kids who claim they’re biking all the way to Alaska to raise money for cancer research. I think I certainly would be. And I have come across my fair share of people who would react as one would expect when cold called out of the blue. But then there are the people who just blow me away with their willingness and even eagerness to help.
People in Sherman and Buffalo Oklahoma are incredible. Laramie Wyoming, Calgary Canada, Anchorage Alaska and so many more cities all along the way are not only housing us and feeding us (no small feat with 20 people), but are going the extra mile by organizing a small army of their own to provide support. People are taking out ads in their local papers to advertise, people are getting up at 4:30 in the morning to make us a hot breakfast, and people are going to their local grocery stores to petition for as much free food as possible. More than anything else this summer I am looking forward to spending time with the people who buck the social “norms” in order to reach out and help a cause they relate to.
And I had no idea until my involvement with TX 4000 how many people relate to cancer. Millions (!!!) have cancer in North America alone in any given year. If each cancer patient only had one family member or friend that was affected to any degree there would be more people affected by cancer than who live in many states and indeed many countries in the world.
Members of my own family on both sides have suffered from cancer, but I don’t think I’ll ever “get it” unless I have it (it’s fine with me if I never “get it”). The people I talk to, the survivors are some of the most dedicated people I have ever met. Dedicated to doing as much as possible to first, eliminate cancer, second to help the ones who have it and third to comfort those whose lives are affected by a loved one who has cancer. They want to share information and they want to serve and they do it at the blink of an eye. (Now as a disclaimer I should say that I am generalizing a little bit because I’ve met cancer survivors who were pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, but these are the minority.)
Wrapping it up for now I will say that time and again I will meet someone whose efforts make my little bike trip seem paltry and unimpressive compared to their 50-60 hours a week they spend volunteering. But you know what? I like it that way. It shows me that more can be done, that when this summer is over I can continue to do more. And when I’m suffering badly on the bike I’m just going to grit my teeth and know that no matter how bad I think it is there are people who have suffered much, much worse than I and they have pulled through to make important and meaningful contributions to their communities. What a wonderful world!