cycling across the US for MS

after 2600 miles across the US for MS

I remember my first real taste of freedom.  It came on a bright summer Saturday afternoon, back when I measured time entirely by what was likely to happen in each of the next ten minutes.  Everything after, and I do mean absolutely everything, just didn’t exist.  I’d been riding a two-wheeler for years – forever if you’d asked me at the time, but that day was different.  I’m not sure what possessed my father on that day to carefully remove the bolts holding the training wheels so securely in place along my back tires, and I was absolutely befuddled when, placed back on the contraption that I both knew and yet felt as if I’d never seen before, I just could not figure a way not to topple over.  Left side wobble, Dad saves.  Right side wobble, Dad saves again.  Thinking, are you serious, what was wrong with what I did yesterday, and why are is everyone watching and laughing so hard?

I remember kicking off, Dad’s assurances as invisible to my confidence as his hand, supposedly attached someplace on the bike in lieu of my third and fourth wheels.  Seriously, take the wheels off so you have to hold my seat? I don’t get it. but okay, whatever.  So, same as yesterday, now flying down the walk racing past the neighbor’s drives.  Oh, but wait…where’s my dad?…Oh cripes!

After years of cycling to school or cycling to meet friends, my definition of freedom sadly but steadily evolved to the need for a driving license, a first apartment, new cities, new languages and for a long time my cycling habits rested, nestled in parents’ basements or the back corner of moving vans.  The memories stirred again with the new found need for exercise, and eventually with the return to four wheels for the next generation. We rode for fun outside again, and we became spinners, riding inside for exercise.

Today, as readers of Lost in the Feed know, our thoughts often venture beyond our selves and today the freedoms that matter to us are defined far more broadly than ever; free speech, free time, free from illness (and in this economy free is better than ever!).  We recently came across a story of a dozen young men and women who came together this summer to cycle across the US to support the Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center at The Brigham in Boston. We were captivated first by their generosity, raising money for such a worthy institution, but perhaps more compelling for us was the statement of freedom they made with their ride:  imagine, we thought, having the freedom to spend the summer riding across the entire country ultimately in support of people who could never so such a thing.   These 12 riders have chronicled their trip on Blogs, Twitter and Facebook and nearly live online maps show their steady progress toward their fundraising goals and toward their west coast destination.  As we wondered about the best way to make a personal difference to the Bike the US for MS dozen, we thought what we’d feel like if we’d raised more than $20k and cycled almost 3,000 miles.  So in addition to a quiet donation for MS and emails to everyone we knew (including a few to radio and TV stations along their route), we called the Missoula, Montana Days Inn and bought  three hotel rooms for the crew for the night they were passing through.  As this wonderful group’s adventure reminds us of the freedoms we prise, it seemed a clean bed, a hot shower and a quiet night as they approached their goals was the least Lost in the Feed could do.