Peter’s Intro

 

You might be wondering why, of all the things to do in the world, that Laura and I are riding our bikes through rural Alabama, Mississippi, & Tennessee. It’s a long story but I’ll just say that Laura and I have shared adventures over the years and biking has been a special thing for us to share. There is something very special about bicycle touring. The pace is slower, you experience the landscape, hills, weather, and people very differently when you’re just out there on the road with your little bicycle.

One is more vulnerable, there are conditions to deal with and problems to solve. I think it makes one more open to and aware of what is around. I could try to write a lot about that but it would fall short somehow. When I took a 3 month leave from my job in 2001 and did a solo, unsupported bike trip across the country in 2001, it probably freaked my teen-aged kids out a bit but also gave them permission to think outside the box about life and they did adventures of their own. It was my On Beyond Zebra moment as a parent. It also bought me the energy and inspiration for another 10 years my career. This is a tamer version of other bike rides but still addresses the adventure aspect.

We also have been interested in the civil rights movement and read lots of the same books over the years and shared thoughts about what we learned. So….put the two things together and you a have a historic civil rights bike trip through important sites from the era. The story of the civil rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s that eventually ended formal/legal segregation and dramatically increased access to the ballot is so incredible, I feel it should be integral to every high school student’s understanding of American History. For us to be able to actually visit some of the holy sites where these events went down feels very precious to me. To be able to share it with Laura is a chance of a lifetime.

I’m so grateful to Laura for carving out the time and for pushing me to do this. I’m also really grateful to Joe (Laura’s husband), Raleigh and Judy (Joe’s mom) for supporting our trip with their time tending to Emma (8) and Birdie (5) while their mom is away.