A month ago, I finished a ride across America with sixteen other cyclists. You can read the archived blog I kept while on the ride here. In total, we rode more than 3,000 miles from the pier in Santa Monica, California to the shores of Delaware. Though we only completed the trip weeks ago, it feels as though years have passed since we rode our bikes into the Atlantic. Now that I am back at work, that is, traveling, in meetings, trying to get the book finished, I miss the days when all I had to do was wake up and ride my bike. I miss the challenge of wondering whether I was going to make it in that day, and of course I miss the team. We became a family on the ride. If you want to bond with your friends, do something very hard with them, something that you won’t be able to do alone. I learned a great deal about America in the seven weeks we spent crossing the country. I learned America is good, not as wealthy as you might think, kind hearted and big hearted. I learned that small towns are dying and I wondered [...]
I want to share a correspondence that has taken place between myself and Senator Obama. Since I closed the DNC with a benediction, people have asked whether I know the Senator and whether we’ve met. Barack Obama and I have had an ongoing e-mail correspondence for several months, the bulk of which I have posted for you. It all started when I attended a rally here in Portland at which more than 75,000 people showed to support the Senator. Somehow, I managed to get a spot close to the stage and during his speech the Senator pointed at me and told me “Yes, I could,” something I think he stole from the Black Eyed Pea’s, but oh well. Anyway, I was moved by the speech, but I had questions. I can do what? At the time, I was trying to pick paint colors for the living room, but was frozen between Icelandic Blue and Mossy-Rock Green. To my amazement, Barack e-mailed me shortly thereafter. I don’t know if it is appropriate to share our personal correspondence, but I offer it to you anyway. I’ve posted Barack’s e-mails followed by my responses. FIRST E-MAIL FROM BARACK: Dear Donald, You did it! [...]
