Mississippi By Flashlight-Things That Are Important

As my friend Robert relates the story, it started with a question: "Do you want to ride from San Francisco this summer?" I suppose all great adventures start the same way; ‘What say we climb Everest this summer!’, or, ‘Why don’t we try to Race Across America in two or three days!’ So we mapped out a route and did it. San Francisco to the San Fernando Valley. No “Look” Pedals, no light-weight camping equipment, no experience, and not a whole lot of sense. But we did it. What makes it important almost 20 years later?

I’m still riding bikes. And I’m currently planning to ride across the United States (or part of it) to celebrate my turning 50 in 2010. And whenever I doubt the possibility of the ride across America, I always fall back on this: Not a problem. I rode from San Francisco to the San Fernando Valley in ‘88’. With tennis shoes!

Second, Robert and I are still the closest of friends. And I’m fairly convinced that a significant aspect of the continued friendship is that we did the ride together. We survived yelling at each other during major bonks. We survived big hills; we survived bad truck drivers (I hope Julianne isn’t reading this), we survived hail storms and rain and ….more days with bad blood sugar levels.

The year was 1989. I was driving to inner-city Chicago for a short-term mission’s trip. Glenn and I decided to make a road trip of it, driving across Texas and then roughly following Blues history as we traveled up the Mississippi.

From my journal:
Mississippi by flashlight. City: Durant.
“Let’s see-Tues. Glenn and I got in a tiff after I asked him not to cuss. A fairly heated argument ensued in which he said that he wasn’t going to go out of his way to avoid it as it was part of his usual repertoire…..I said-for he said I was always judging him…..Anyway, it went as far as me screaming, ‘Well, maybe we shouldn’t be friends anymore or some such thing……”

Needless to say, 20 years later and I count him as the closest of buds. Looking back; those friends that I did road trips with, or rode on trips with, remain closest today. Even through some heated fights and immature behaviors. But through many rich experiences as well.

Also from my journal:
“Wed. we did New Orleans the French ¼. Quite nice. We spent the morning walking together then separated til dinner. The evening was wonderful. After dinner we went to Preservation Hall and, despite one obnoxious character, enjoyed some classic Jazz….”