to rest my torn hamstring get some gear for the next stage of my trip and spend time with my family. My grandmother is 84, suffering from dementia, and no longer recognizes me as her grandson. I am at the home she is staying at now and i was just staring at the schedule. Its sort of like a kindergarten day. They have happy feet with Dr. Park, parades downtown, sing-a-longs, balloon tosses, and a ring throwing contest. At first this place made me feel uncomfortable because I have been enjoying the beauty of nature, the thrill of daily adventure, and the excitement of meeting new and diverse people everyday. Coming hear makes me think of one thing and one thing only-DEATH. I don't like thinking of dying. Its not a subject I like to dwell on and subconsciously I sort of hope it won't ever happen to me. Dying is for other people and Living is for me. At least that's what I tell myself. I'm aware that it happens to everyone. I get it. Perhaps that's part of the reason I had to do this ride. Someday I'm going to be in a home where old people go. It will have nice food and amenities and my family will come see me, but I wonder what stories I might be able to tell my friends i make in that home. Maybe I will be able to tell my old friends that when I was a younger I sold all my stuff and decided to ride my bicycle for a while. They will ask me where I went and I can tell them I went to magical places with delicious food with mythical characters. That i slept under the stars in a hammock and helped get water for people in far away places who didn't have it.
It hit me here that someday I will get old and all I will have left is the stories of my life to pass on to the other human beings who have crossed my path near the end of my existence. Hopefully I will be able to share with them that I lived a life where I tried my best to follow my heart, to not be afraid, to make life an adventure, and to try my best to help others.
This blog is for you Grandma Helen even though you can't remember who I am anymore...
Ride4water via iPhone4