Manipulating the System

Manipulation!

I have been doing Bridges Out of Poverty trainings for several years now both locally in my hometown of Dubuque and more recently as an ahaProcess consultant in various locations around the country.  Typically, these trainings are for predominantly middle class audiences.  And there are patterns of questions which I have come to recognize as “middle class questions.”  One of the common ones has to do with abusing or manipulating the system.   The training audience is typically made up of sensitive people who are often directly serving people in poverty.  So, the questioner often tries to be gentle about how he or she phrases the question.  But in the end, it comes down to some form of “What do we do about people who manipulate the system?”  Here are some I have heard.

• “What about parents who go to a lot of different agencies at Christmas time and get so many presents for their kids?”
• “What about people who lie just to get the benefits and then don’t follow through?”
•  “When we give people money to help them pay their phone bill, how can we keep them from using it to buy ringback tones?”

First, I understand and have sympathy for these questions.  It is frustrating to encounter people who seem to be out to cheat the system, especially when the system they are cheating is yours!   The problem I have with these questions, is that they often reflect assumptions about people in poverty and in fact, about middle class systems and people as well.  Let me name a couple of those assumptions and then develop the point:

• ·         Many people in poverty have a moral flaw that significantly contributes to their own problems and the greater problems of the community.
•        People who abuse the system are doing something that I would not do if I were in the same situation.
• ·         Manipulation/cheating/abuse of the system is primarily a poverty problem.

The first two go together.  If the hidden rules concepts are valid (unspoken cues and behaviors that are known to those who belong to a group but not necessarily to those outside the group), people will use whatever skills they have to get whatever they can out of systems whose hidden rules are foreign to them.  Parents in poverty want to give their kids as much as they can.  If that means going to a few different agencies and loading up at Christmas time on what is available, it seems like that could also be interpreted as parents doing everything they can for their kids.  Middle class families are well known for overindulging their kids at Christmas;  buying kids too many gifts and often gifts that are neither needed or even good for them.  Is it more moral because middle class families waste - I’m sorry, “spend” money to provide their kids with too much Christmas?  That’s at least a question worth considering.  But regardless, it seems that the initial motivation of “I want to do whatever I can for my kids” is the same.

Then there is the whole problem of moral judgment and superiority.  Are we middle class folks so sure of our moral fiber that we are confident that we would not do the same thing if we were in the same situation?  What skills would I need to develop if I found myself living in poverty?  What skills to feed my kids?  Pay my rent?  Get gas money to drive to work?  Have a Merry Christmas?  Would I be willing to bend the rules a bit?  Would I be willing to stretch the truth a bit?  Would I HAVE to do some of these things?  These are interesting questions that I honestly hope I do not have to face.  Just asking them forces me to confront my unspoken assumptions about people who live differently than I do as well assumptions about the reasons for behaviors I don’t easily understand.

But the bigger issue for me is the idea that manipulation of systems (or cheating or abusing) is somehow unique to poverty.  This assumption leads to a tendency to suspect everyone in poverty.  In working with many Getting Ahead (www.gettingaheadnetwork.com) groups through the years, I have heard consistent reports of the treatment people in poverty can expect from systems that are supposedly to designed to serve them.   The general feeling is that of a lack of trust on the part of the systems toward those they are serving.  The consistent questions I get from middle class audiences at trainings as well as in general conversations confirm the impression of people in poverty toward systems.   However, I can say with confidence that I rarely encounter a system of any kind where I feel a sense of mistrust from the people serving me.  (Obviously, this issue crosses many more lines than economic class.  As a white, middle aged, middle class man I am afforded some level of trust based on multiple characteristics.  This discussion is intended to focus on economic class.)

The problem is that it is far too easy to see and question the manipulation of others who are different while staying blind to our own manipulations.  There are certainly people in poverty who manipulate and abuse the system.  I don’t think so many that the system should assume a person in poverty is guilty until proven innocent.  But aren’t there also people in middle class who manipulate the system?  In school, we called them “brown-nosers”.  But there are also those who manipulate the system when paying their taxes.  There are some who deduct everything as a “business expense” for example.  There are others who manipulate the system to obtain promotions.  Who abuse the company expense accounts.  What about those in wealth?   Isn’t all the anger towards the 1% at least partly about wealthy people and wealthy systems that manipulate the economic system to their own advantage?

This brings me to a favorite bible verse that I have gone to many times to remind me that my judgment of others is always based on shaky grounds.  In the book of Romans in the New Testament, after speaking against a variety of folks who are violating God’s ways, Paul makes this statement in Chapter 2:1 “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” 

There is no new sin in the world, only the form in which it appears.  When it comes to the judgment of those in poverty by those from middle class and wealth, the stereotypical “welfare mom” who is manipulating the system is an easy target that insulates those who judge from seeing the manipulations of their own systems and even their own lives.   Far too often, we “who pass judgment condemn (ourselves)”  because we ”do the same things.”

In case anyone is questioning, I am not advocating for manipulation of systems for the sake of personal gain. While I believe it is universal across human experience regardless of class, I am not saying that it is okay and should be accepted as appropriate.   But if manipulation of systems for personal gain is a problem, it is a human one, not one exclusive to poverty.  The whole community’s ability to view it through that lens will make the conversations more honest and useful and the solutions easier to discover for individuals and systems at every economic class level.

RAGBRAI REPORT - Days 6 and 7 (with the right dates!)

Day 6 – July 26, 2013 – Oskaloosa to Fairfield – 52

“Every valley shall be filled in; every mountain and hill made low.  The crooked ways shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.” – Luke 3:5 from Isaiah 40

This was our easiest day of the week.  Straight flat roads.  The weather was great.  We took a slow pace and Ernest, Tim, Joey and I stayed together for the whole ride.  Rick rode with his parents as a part of celebrating Gene’s birthday; sort of a family affair!  We had a number on intentional conversations.  Ernest is particularly adept at starting up conversations with fellow riders as we move along the road.   

We had plenty of rain overnight in Oskaloosa and that may have put a damper on morning greeters.  But even as the day went on, there weren’t as many folks out by the side of the road and we had fewer opportunities for interviews with people.   Hardly any lemonade stands!  All that meant was that we had more time to talk with each other.  We talked about RAGBRAI and we talked about church growth.  We talked about food and we talked about little nagging physical symptoms of riding a bike for a week straight.  At the end of the day, we ate together and enjoyed each other’s company.

And isn’t that also a bit of life?  Yesterday, we experienced the joy and importance of taking time to talk to those “by the side of the road.”  Today, we could have simply said that we had a boring ride.  It wasn’t physically challenging and nothing particularly interesting happened in our interactions with others.  But we are stronger as friends and brothers.  Our ability to work together in common ministry at FBC was enhanced by this “boring” ride.  During our week at RAGBRAI, we have seen how important it is to be a part of a common flow in moving toward a difficult to achieve goal.  We have learned about riding together to support and encourage.  We have learned about the importance of not being so focused on our goals and motion that we miss opportunities to benefit from the stories of those we meet.  And today we learned a bit about the boring times and importance of using those to build relationship with each other.  We are probably less physically stressed than after any day this week.  But we are also closer emotionally and spiritually as a result of this flat, boring ride.  That’s good stuff!

Tomorrow, we will finish the race with 63 miles to Ft. Madison and the Mighty Mississippi.  We will dip our tires.  We’ll get a quick shower – it’s a long way to Dubuque in an RV with 7 sweaty bikers! – and we will go home.  I expect some rich conversation in the RV on the way home and not a few naps as well!  I also expect to see lingering effects of our shared RAGBRAI for weeks and months to come.

Day 7 – June 27, 2013 – Fairfield to Ft. Madison the Mississippi River – 63 miles

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” – Paul in Acts 20:24

Before this week began, the longest bike ride I had ever been on was one we took a couple of weeks before RAGBRAI and we did 63 miles.  After that ride I remember thinking, “Maybe I can do this.”  Today, we finished our RAGBRAI with a 63 mile ride to the river and it seemed like it was over before I realized we had started!  We have traveled 406 miles in seven days putting more miles on my bike than it probably had on it in the four years since we bought it.  But it was more than just a bike ride covering some number of miles.

Our night in Fairfield was uneventful.  We stayed at the fairgrounds and seemed to have a perfect spot until the bands started playing in the show barn around the corner from where the RV and our tents were!   They had good music downtown about two miles from where we were.  Apparently the second acts got sent to the fairgrounds!  But we survived and slept well as the temperatures dipped into the 50s.

Our ride to Ft. Madison started in the 50s and ended in the 70s.  Blue skies dotted with beautiful pillow clouds provided an awesome contrast with the green corn and beans that lined our route.  We stayed fairly close together but committed to meeting in the final stopping town of West Point which was 10 miles from Ft. Madison so that we could ride the final portion together in our group of seven.  We even had Sam join us in Ft. Madison so that there were eight of us who dipped our front tires in the Mississippi (after waiting about 45 minutes in line to do so!).   We went to the great spot that Sam had found for the RV, completing a week of great spot finding by our driver/support guy.  We loaded up and headed for Dubuque.

And so our journey is over.   Gene and Sandy have made this trip many times.  Rick has done so a few times.  Tim has been talking about doing it for three or four years.  He kept talking and it finally happened.  Tim finished the full 406 miles surprising those who had wagered against him!  The rest of us were impressed.  I got to do RAGBRAI with my son including that one especially sweet day when we talked to so many people, just the two of us.  A portion of our Wednesday morning men’s bible study (Tim, Rick, Sam, me) finally did something together!  It encourages us to find other things to do!  And we created a deeper sense of connection within a part of the church.  Perhaps we have learned some things and had some discussions that we can apply productively within the larger FBC body.

There are always mixed feelings at the end of an experience like RAGBRAI.  There are always conversations that start, “Next year, I’m going to . . .” and “Next year, let’s . . . .”  I can’t say for sure that any of us will ever do RAGBRAI again.  As James points out, our lives are but a mist and instead of focusing on next year we should be of a mind that “If it is the Lord’s will we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)  But I can say that this RAGBRAI has been a valuable experience for me, my son and I, and my friends at church.  I have learned about making it to the end of the race but also about not getting so focused on the end of the race that I miss the people along the side of the race I am running.  I suppose that when I reach the end days of my life, I will have mixed feelings as well.  Part of me will know that it is time.  Part will want to do it one more day.  I pray that none of me will regret chances I missed to bless and be blessed by others along the way.

Thanks for reading!  Here is a picture of our crew with our front tires in the Mississippi River seven days after dipping the back ones in the Missouri!

RAGBRAI REPORT - Day 5

Day 5 – July 24, 2013 – Knoxville to Oskaloosa – 52 miles

“It really IS about the ride!”

Joey and I spent the day together and early on decided to stop and talk to many, many people – and it was a blast.  The first days of RAGBRAI were about the physical challenge and experience.  I learned about the encouragement of doing the same thing with lots of others who are moving in the same direction.  It was about the motion of RAGBRAI and about the riders.  The next phase in my RAGBRAI involved thinking about the experience from the point of view of those watching the parade of riders pass by.  Today, it became spiritual as Joey and I took a long time to do the 52 miles but had amazing conversations and experiences that were much more fun than just finishing the miles. 

This one is probably the best.  We rode by a farm out in the country and there were three little kids holding Sharpies shouting “Sign our shirts!”  Of course, I couldn’t resist that!  So Joey and I swung around and went through the yard and back to the kids.  They came down and we signed their shirts.  Then we started talking to one of the ladies who was clearly a relative.  I asked her if the farm was hers and she said that it belonged to her nephew.  Then she told us his story.  He is 25, and had bought the farm when he was 18; an amazing accomplishment for such a young man.   He was married with two kids and recently had an accident resulting in him being paralyzed from the neck down.  He is now in Chicago and living out of the hospital with his wife and kids, but there are clearly many challenges ahead.  We got to look at picture of his beautiful family pre and post accident.  His aunt, June, was pretty teary eyed.  I was too.  We talked about how the bible teaches that while there may not be a reason for everything that happens, God can bring reason out of even the worst of circumstances (Romans 8:28).  We talked about miracles and prayer.  It was a powerful moment.   And I realize that while the riders experience RAGBRAI in motion, the watchers and towns experience RAGBRAI as a moment – a day in which their normal world is invaded by people, most of whom will pass them by without a thought.  If those little kids had not been crying out about signing their shirts, I would have done the same.  The man’s name is Loren Lettington.  Please pray for him and his wife and kids.

There were the grandkids at the Bailey Farm – all wearing Bailey Farm shirts and serving amazing homemade granola bars.  There were the kind people at the Independent Bible Church in Bussey, IA.  They were the first place coming into the town and had LOTS of granola bars and water and had opened their church for use of the bathrooms.  We talked with the pastor and found out that his son, Josiah, is in school to become a missionary.  Pray for him too!  There was a petting zoo.  There were the moms and their four or five sons just sitting watching the riders and the boys marveling at the different kinds of bikes and wondering if they could do RAGBRAI.  There was the 10 year old kid at the lemonde stand outside his house who could to the Rubics Cube in a minute.  Amazing.  I talked with 5 or 6 high school kids at Oskaloosa about being on RAGBRAI and about graduating from high school and getting out of town.  And there was more. 

There is a guy who is running RAGBRAI.  He’s a bit crazy!  But Joey sort of summarized the great joy we found in the journey today when he suggested that our goal for tomorrow should be to get to Fairfield after the runner guy!

A little trouble on the route today for our leader, Gene.  He has had some tire problems and blew three tubes in a row.  He ended up being helped by a guy who had a new tire and a new tube which was cool.  But the best quote of day came from Gene as we were back at the RV:

Gene: “On the whole, I think the ride went really well today.” 

Joey: “Gene, you had THREE flats today.”

Gene: “Oh yeah, there was that.  But you just have to deal with that.  It happens sometimes.”

Great attitude Gene!  We could learn something about living life from that.

RAGBRAI - DAY 4

Day 4 – July 23, 2013 – Des Moines to Knoxville – 49 miles

“It’s not a race, it’s a ride”

When my older kids were younger, they used to do some pretty strange things with some of the neighborhood kids (collectively known as “The Gang”).  One of our favorite memories was the time they stood by the side of the road at the top of our hill holding a sign that said, “Honk to see us dance.”  Another was the time that they set up the classic lemonade stand.  Except there was no stand and they weren’t selling lemonade.  They were selling potatoes!  When they were doing that someone stopped and gave them some money but didn’t take a potato.  It’s a 30 second incident that continues to hold a significant place in the lore of our family and The Gang.

So what does this have to do with RAGBRAI?  It occurred to me today that RAGBRAI is experienced by two distinct groups of people.  Of course, there are the riders.  They are the ones who are actually moving from town to town across the state.  They are welcomed into small towns that they hadn’t heard of before the ride and which they can’t even keep straight when they are telling stories at the end of the day!  The riders experience RAGBRAI in motion.

Then there are the people in the towns and along the roads.  Some are curious onlookers.  Some are actively welcoming people to their town or shouting words of encouragement.  Today we saw a guy in his front yard with a sound system and a microphone and he was playing his saxophone to  recorded music – while I was going by it was a musical version of Billy Joel’s “I love you just the way you are”.  And he was good!  And of course, there are no end of lemonade stands set up by little kids in their front yards all the way to established businesses that move each day with the route. 

Yesterday, I came across three little girls at the top of a hill coming out of one of the towns we had stopped in.  They had their “Free Lemonade” sign up but their location wasn’t the best because most everyone had just stopped in the town at the bottom of the hill – or decided that they weren’t going to stop.  In either case, few were inclined to stop.  But I did.  And I talked to the girls and found out that they lived right there.  I asked them what it was like to see all these riders going by and the oldest, maybe 10, said with eyes as big as saucers, “AWESOME!”  I took a cup of lemonade, saw that their tip jar was empty and said they deserved something and I gave them a five dollar bill (I’m not really that generous; I just didn’t have anything else!).  But as I left, I thought of those potatoes.  I pray that those kids will have a memory of that 30 second encounter with some guy when RAGBRAI came through who gave them $5 for a cup of lemonade.

What this has all made me realize is that while there are riders who are experiencing RAGBRAI in motion, there are also many who are experiencing RAGBRAI in moments as it passes by them.  From the little towns that have spent the last year planning for their one day moment to the little kids along the side of the road giving away lemonade.   My male achievement gene is a bit too oriented toward conquering the route – to have my motion experience.  Tomorrow I am going to be intentional about stopping and experiencing a few more moments with people who are watching the motion.  I have a feeling I am in for a completely different kind of RAGBRAI than I have experienced up to today.

We are having a great time!  Everyone is healthy.  Ernest Jackson joined us today and rode well.  We watched the US beat Honduras in the semi- final of the Gold Cup at a Mexican restaurant.  I had a chance to meet up with my friend Amy from the AEA and we got to laugh about The Golden Child, who is currently strapped to my handlebars.  We did men’s bible study which we always do on Wednesday and got through so little in our discussion that we are going to finish Luke 14 over the next two days.  All in all, a great day!

RAGBRAI REPORT Day 3

Day 3 – July 22, 2013 – Perry to Des Moines

Recovery!

A mere 49 miles today and after a tall hill coming out of Perry, it was mostly flat.  Even so, we took some nice breaks and so got in a little later than we might have expected.  The temperature was also a delightful  80 or so and overcast – nothing like the 90 and sunny that we had for our 83 miles yesterday.  It was a good day.

Two highlights for me.  The first was seeing one of the many booths along the way offering all manner of food and drink.  But this one, in a yard along the road, was in support of Operation Christmas Child!  So I stopped and talked with the nice lady and her daughter for a bit about this program that we have been supporting at our church for more than 10 years.  Like us, their church is a local collection center and like our family, they also have been up to the regional processing center in Minneapolis.  I got a couple of nice picture and three big, fat homemade cookies – and an OCC button!  It was great to connect with people who have a shared story.

The second highlight was even better.  Through a series of events, I ended in contact with Aimee (Graves) Smith.   It turns out that she is living about two miles away from where we were camping.  So I biked over – the first really painful biking experience of the week as it turned out!  I guess I just wasn’t ready for even two more miles.

I first met Aimee when she and her family took over Dayton Oaks Camp where I served for many years as a camp coordinator.  She was in seventh grade and she was a precious, energetic kid.  Now she is a precious mother of two!  I got to meet her sons, Max (6) and Harrison (18 months) and to see great mothering skills!  I don’t often get to see kids I knew in high school, whether from my job or camp, after they are grown up.  What a great reunion this was.

And it reminds me of the importance of relationship.  One of the sayings on RAGBRAI is “It’s not a race; it’s a ride.”  Part of it being a ride is the relationships of those you ride with and those you meet.  There are people who seem to be racing through RAGBRAI – although that may just be because I am slow!  But I plan on meeting more people over the remaining four days.

In the evening we went to an Iowa Cubs game and sparing the details saw the Cubs win 1-0 on a walk off double in the bottom of the ninth.  Kind of fun!

Tomorrow, another shorter day – 49 miles to Knoxville.

RAGBRAI Day 2

Day 2 – July 22, 2013 – Harlan to Perry – 83 miles

“You need to persevere . . .” – Hebrews 10:36a       

We got out before 6:00 this morning on the road to our longest day.  Pastor Tim and I paired up knowing full well that we would not be keeping up with any of the others, especially Joey and Rick who intended to do the optional loop that made the full day over 100 miles.  We made it to the first town about 15 miles down the road where the loop starts.  Rick and Joey waited there for us so that they could start at the same time as us from there to see if they could catch us. 

They did – with 22 miles to go!

Tim and I pressed on for the first half of the day, making only brief stops.  We lingered a bit in Guthrie Center and then headed into a stretch that included the steepest hill we will face on the entire journey.  We made it to the top although it took quite a bit of effort.  Then we moved on to Yale which was where Joey and Rick caught us as we took a considerable break there.  The last 22 miles were mostly flat but we were glad to reach Perry High School where we will stay the night.

At Perry we had showers and spaghetti at the high school where they also opened up the building for the whole night allowing us access to bathrooms.  Sam, Rick, Joey and I had a game of Risk in the air conditioned school library just before a major storm blew through.  I got trapped at the library waiting for it to pass and so am taking time to get this report done!

I continue to be amazed at the sense of unity that comes when many people are doing the same thing.  There are many different levels and speeds; different kinds of equipment and approaches.  But being a part of that flow toward a common destination is empowering and was a source of encouragement that allowed Tim and I to continue when we were past our normal limits.  It seems that there is much to learn from this trip and I pray that we will continue to do so tomorrow as we head to Des Moines.

RAGBRAI REPORT - DAY 1

Day 1 – July 21, 2013 – Council Bluffs to Harlan – 50 miles

“The Heavens Declare the Glory of God”

As promised, Gene and Sandi got us going at 5:00 am with the goal of getting on the road by 6:00.  We  did that easily and joined hundreds of other early risers on our first ride of the week.  It was truly a beautiful day.  When we woke, there was lightning in the distance but it never threatened us.  As we rode into the sunrise, the clouds and sun combined for a glorious testimony to the creative genius of God. 

The ride itself was easier than maybe I had expected.  There is something about riding (or perhaps doing anything!) with many other people that supports you and strengthens you.  The miles kind of fly by as you are moved along by the collective energy of so many going in the same direction in common purpose.  I am positive that there is a spiritual/emotional/behavioral application here but not for today!  Today, it’s just about riding bikes.  We arrived in Harlan in about 4 hours which was much earlier than we had expected.  We talked about how we could have skyped into the 10:00 service at church back home!

The ride itself exposed us to the economics of RAGBRAI as we were almost constantly in view of some sign or another promising us delectable delights of one kind or another.  Among our favorites that amused but did not tempt us too much were “hamballs on a stick” and “chocolate covered bacon.”  Each town is lined with various vendors.  Some apparently will reappear in other towns tomorrow.  Others were more local.  One sign promised “church ladies who remind you of your mom and grandma” selling pies.  It was called the Church Ladies Group.  It is interesting to think about living in one of these towns so similar to ones where I work.  What must it be like to have your life suddenly and for one day only invaded by more than 15,000 people on bicycles!

In Harlan, we rested.  We paid $5 for shower that felt like it was worth $10.  We rested some more.  Then Joey, Rick, Sam and I went into town to find a place to watch the USA/El Salvador Gold Cup Quarterfinal game.  We ended up at Pizza Ranch which is a bit unromantic for an event like RAGBRAI.  But the buffet gave us a chance to graze and enjoy the game a bit.  Following the game, we went back to camp (High School parking lot) and found ourselves down at the bottom of the hill at Grace Baptist Church where, at least in my mind, we had our first encounter with people seeing RAGBRAI as an opportunity to serve rather than to fund raise.  Contrary to really any other group we saw, church related or otherwise, they were giving away polish sausages, hamburgers, fat slices of really good watermelon and cold water.  No donations accepted.  We sat in their air conditioned fellowship hall (also free) for a while and then headed back to the high school for a concert by a couple of young women from Omaha, one of whom is from Harlan.  And that’s where we are now.

Tomorrow, we do 83 miles.  Joey and Rick will probably do the extra loop for a 100 mile total.  Probably not in my future or Tim’s!  It’s our longest and therefore most challenging day.  Hopefully, I can tell about tomorrow!

RAGBRAI Report - Day 0 - “click-click-click-click-click”

I am doing RAGBRAI (The (Des Moines) Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) with Joey and a couple other guys from church.  It is a week long event.  I hope to blog each day internet access allowing! Here is the first installment.

July 20, 2013 – 

I remember being a kid and riding roller coasters.  While I was excited standing in line, there were those moments of anticipation mixed with terror as the cars headed up the first incline – “click-click-click-click-click”.  I was suddenly aware that I was stuck on this thing and whether I wanted to get off or not, I couldn’t.  Sure I had seen maybe hundreds of others go up the same ramp and return a couple minutes later seemingly no worse for the experience.  Some even looked like they had enjoyed it!  But in just a few seconds it was my turn to over that first hump and into who knows what.  And even if I wanted to get off, I couldn’t!

That’s about as close a story as I can tell to reflect my feelings as we boarded Gene and Sandi Loeffelholz’s RV and headed from Dubuque to Council Bluffs to camp out in anticipation of the first day of RAGBRAI.  Once that RV left Dubuque, there was no turning back.  “click-click-click-click-click”  

Six hours later we arrived and set up camp.  Our current crew consists of Joey and I, Pastor Tim Bees, Gene and Sandi and their son, Rick, who is a PE teacher, swim coach and triathlete – a veritable fitness machine.  Gene and Sandi have been doing RAGBRAI for 20 years and Rick has done several.  Rick was the one who talked Tim into really doing it this year instead of just talking about it.  Tim had a serious heart issue several years ago and has been seeking motivation to stay healthy.  RAGBRAI seems to fit the call!  He has talked about doing RAGBRAI for a couple of years now. 

There are a lot of people here.  There’s a full carnival of food vendors, bike shops, and assorted other businesses and organizations.  The most puzzling one to me was the University of Iowa Archaeology Department.  At their tent you could get a nice temporary tattoo of an arrowhead (properly called a “projectile point” of course!).

In addition to the carnival, there are all kinds of people, bikes and activities.  Plenty of eating and drinking going on – I can see already why they say that no one loses weight on RAGBRAI!  One lady a few RVs down from us is spinning wool.  We have seen people from Utah, North Carolina, Idaho and Texas among others.  There will be close to 20,000 riding through the week. 

So with the gently sound of clicking in my ears, we are about to ride down to the river and do the ceremonial dipping of the back wheels in the Missouri River.  Tomorrow, we go over the hump!  I hope it’s mostly downhill.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us!”  - Hebrews 12:1c