July 28, 1993

NAIL ON THE ROAD

I had just visited a Christian social service center in Chattahoochee, FL when I caught sight of another cyclist. I yelled out to see if the other cyclist would stop to talk. I was surprised when the other cyclist turned around and pulled into the center's parking lot. It was another amazement to see that the other cyclist was a girl.

Terri was from New Mexico and she had started from Boston and was heading across the country. She was raising funds and awareness for her program that she called "Children Are Our Future." A part of her program was "Bikes for Kids" which tried to supply bicycles to needy children.

I was really amazed at seeing the load that she was carrying on her bike. The bike must have weighed almost twenty pounds heavier than mine. To top it off, there was a big spirit drum and totem stick. Also, Terri had a Ying-Yang symbol on a chain around her neck.

Since we were both going the same direction, I suggested that we could at least ride together for a few days on the way to Birmingham, AL. This would be really interesting and I never really had the experience in riding with somebody especially a girl. Terri agreed to the offer because she needed the company. Her time in Florida hadn't really been that good and she was getting a little home sick.