Wednesday, October 10, 2007

I Need a Team

The walk/pedal to speak out in favor of universal health care will require a lot of preparation. I’ve left a message with a friend who works for the Lee County Sheriff’s department to ask about gaining permission. There may be some obstacles. The activity of walking or hand-cycling to raise awareness on our roads could be considered unsafe. Walking or cycling on most streets is legal but I'll need a car to follow closely behind me to ensure some level of safety. How would that be addressed by the local sheriff’s department? I think I’ll have the answer to that soon.

The other tasks I need to complete before setting out are being sure I’m Mister Know-It-All on universal health care, getting in the proper physical shape, and getting a lot of practice using a hand-cycle. I’ve been spending a lot of time learning all I can about universal health care; that’s ongoing. I haven’t started the getting in shape part yet but I'm on a diet. I’ve lost a few pounds so far. I need to start the process of getting in shape. I think I can kill two birds with one stone here. I can use the hand-cycle to get in shape and I’ll be well practiced by the time I’m ready to go.

While I’ve been waiting for the call from my friend, I’ve been thinking about what to call this walk/pedal. It’s not a protest or a walkathon. It’s not a march or a demonstration. So what is it? My goal is to raise awareness of the need and viability of universal health care. So what I need is a name for what I’m doing and I can’t call it a walk-a-pedal. If you’ve got an idea, write a comment here. Also, I need a team to help me plan and get this underway. I know I haven't come close to listing all the tasks that need to be accomplished before I hit the road. If you would like to be part of the team, let me know. There’s a lot to do so let's go.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

MyFlorida.com has an online book on their site titled "Florida Bicycling Street Smarts". Unfortunately, the book doesn't have any maps of back country roads that would have helped to navigate the State, but there is some good information about riding in traffic...especially chapters 6, 8, and 9.

RichW said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RichW said...

Wow, thank you Gus. There's so much great information on that site and the other sites it links to. You're on The Team. This morning I woke up thinking about being on the cycle all of about 3 feet off the ground with SUV's and trucks passing by me at 50+ MPH. I can't wait for the special feeling I'll experience. It's probably right up there with "tossing your lunch." I'm definitely getting a rear view mirror.

Anonymous said...

Hi Gig, I wish I could be on your team. If there is anything I can do from so far away please let me know, maybe even contacting the local stations to draw attention to you and you ride. I know you succeed in this adventure just like you do in all others.
love you and can't wait to see it unfold.

RichW said...

Don, I'll have a lot for you to do. Thank you for joining the team. Love...Gig