Could be a big week

It is Monday night. Today was the day my friend was planning to speak with a potentially important fellow to see about hooking me up with a sponsor. I COULD do the ride just on my own, but it seems to continue to be important that I work with an organization and that they collect funds from my sponsors and that it all becomes more lasting, more meaningful than it would be just if I was to do a bike ride on my own.

A while ago, when I first did a leadership development course, (actually it was the second course in a series of three I would eventually take) my group did an exercise. The point of the exercise was to understand how to do exercises with groups. It was assumed that each of us would eventually go on to become a group leader so the exercise was not, in itself, supposed to mean anything. The exercise was simple. Each of us put one dollar into a pot. And then each of us was supposed to make a compelling case for being the one who got all the dollars. I REALLY wanted the dollars. I didn't care that it was just an exercise. I REALLY did want them. And what I wanted to do was to take all of the dollars, about 9, I think, and use one each time I filled up my car's tank with gas. I was about to drive across country, and I was nervous about it, about where I was going, about doing the trip alone. I felt that I could feel better if I had each person's dollar with me on every mile.

I ended up with the money and though that was not the point, it mattered a lot to me, and I DID think of each person and send that person a post card each time I put more gas in the car.

I want to have a bunch of people I am thinking about as I do this ride. I want it to mean something. I want to have a reason, something greater than just me, on this ride.

I hope their meeting went well. and I hope that means I can soon start writing letters and telling people about the ride in hopes that they will join me on this journey.

I have been confused with dates for the whole weekend. I just went to Chicago and made the plane reservations for the wrong day - an expensive mistake - and also told my hosts the wrong day for when I was going to be there. That was not such a bad thing, fortunately. Today, I think, is Monday, July 28. It is 2008. Still.

The Cicadas, the August kind, not the once every 17 years kind - are chirping. Today I got the parts to build a fountain which I will install and fill with plants for my bees tomorrow. The bees matter too. This ride, this journey, is about them too. Bees. Light. Health. Life. (and handblown glass.)

G'night.