Archive for June 9, 2008
Wanderlust 4 Life!
It finally happened. The two weeks that seemed so long and so short to get to Atlanta is here. While pedaling thru LA, MS, and AL, the hills, people, conversations, lovely lady legs, and beautiful outdoors had me so caught up that getting to Atlanta just happened. The 400 or however many miles it took to get here just flew by. And it is easy when your days are filled with sun soaked/damaged days of riding, reproductive justice conversations on the road, chammied hands, sandwiches, and ice cold water. The world doesn’t seem so tough and at the same time is so hard when you have a community of women to support you, to make consensus with, to feed with food, words, and cuddles… and to do one of the most radical things we as warriors can ever do- take the time to LOVE.
It took love for me each day. Love in the face of fear of being able to endure the 50-60 mile days, the hills, the hard conversations, the reality of my body moving thru the South and my historical relationship with the land and this region. Love helped to guide me, keep me present, and remind me of my fierceness. Love was exercised. It was the climbing of a hill and the sweet, fast, breeze right after, the honk of the wagon, the waving of flags, a massage train, and knowing that you will never be too far from the support you need.
I was given the gift of love by 11 women who all heard the call to be bold, fierce, and courageous. In each of your own ways(that became our ways), I have been so deeply moved. From making a home each night with my amazing Megumi who I adore and respect immeasurable, to laughing to tears and filled with wit by Liz Bright and my love Elisa, to talking about sex and sexuality with Heatha, to being inspired by everyone, and experiencing the depth, beauty, challenge, and the possibility of real, meaningful connection across lines of difference and experience with my 2nd love Erin. You have no idea what what those moments have meant to me, my spirit, and to my understanding of our crazy world.
And then there is Nora. I do not have the words for the immense love, respect, joy, and delight this woman gives me. Nora, you are a gift, a solider, a visionary, a doer. I am amazed by you. Your spunk, your fire, your desire to turn things right side up. I love you in a way that will always endure- get ready
Right now, I am sitting at my desk at SPARK, dreaming about ya’ll. I am processing this journey, crying a little, laughing too. It was the hardest thing to leave all of you last night. To make it back to my other world filled with people, community, doggies, and blissful things that love me and I love. It so hard because I love Wanderlust in a way that I never expected. I never knew I needed it until I had it.
I’m plotting my return. Making a way back. I am not sure what or how that will look like but being with ya’ll again, riding my bike and taking up space, thinking about reproductive justice, and revelling in the push and pull of love keeps this pouty Paridisical a float!
You are fierce, bold, and amazing and this is LOVE!
paris
p.s. get ready for your neck tattoos ladies!!!
Finally we have left Alabama….!
It felt like a vacation to ride on the Chief Ladgia/Silver Comet Trail. After a week and a half of being in Alabama we finally left! The bike trail was so flat and we tackled the high miles quickly. Usually I am in the back, but the trail allowed me to be in the front! The detour was not well marked and we kept getting lost. Vanessa and I kept coming upon vicious dogs and put our strong “NO!” voices to use. Becky had to shield me from two big dogs who looked like they were going to chew me apart. She told me to get off my bike and walk with her so we could look bigger. If she wasn’t there I wouldn’t have known what to do!
Towards the end of the trail Megan broke her arm, but she managed to bike another 15 miles before realizing it was broken! She’s such a trooper. J
Finally we made it to Atlanta. The Feminist Women’s Health Center were great hosts and made our stay very comfortable.
Because we are always so concerned with eating, we were so excited to see the conference room filled with yummy food! Bags of chips and cheetos, tubes of ice cream and a table full of candy! It was such a treat to have warm sandwiches waiting for us….and it was even better that we didn’t have to make them ourselves!
The next morning we awoke to a pancake breakfast where we ate with the clinic staff and had a time to relax.
The day was very busy. We visited the SPARK! Reproductive Justice Now offices to help gather materials for that afternoon’s research briefing and trip presentation at the Radial Café.
Radial was PACKED with people interested in our bike trip. I helped Nora present the data at the meeting. It was really great that my cousins, whom I have not seen in over 15 years, came to the briefing.
I really needed the time to spend with my family away from the group. It felt good to have a moment of me time finally!
I was tired and decided to not go out with the others that night. I decided to stay in and just relax and catch up on some much needed sleep.
This morning I woke up and had a massage courtesy of the Feminist Women’s Health Center. We all had 30 minute massages. I was so relaxed that I fell asleep on the massage table!
Later on some family friends game by and picked me up to have lunch at their house. I feel like it’s been a family reunion since I’ve been here in Atlanta!
That’s all for now!
-Kathleen
The Battle of Mobile
(This is a post from earlier on the trip…but I never had the chance to put it online)
As we were leaving Mobile we became turned around. We were given the option of either going all around the city and taking a bridge or biking through a tunnel. Since we believe in following conscious decision making we all put a “1” finger in the area (meaning we agree with the proposal) to taking the tunnel. Our safety support van trailed us into the tunnel as we began to go down hill. The momentum sped up pedaling and the first riders in our pack came upon rain grates too difficult for our tires to go over, and they came to a halt. Those of us in the back did not have enough time to stop and a bike pile up occurred. I couldn’t stop my bike and I ran into Elizabeth’s fallen bike and flew 3 feet in the air and landed tangled up with other bikes on top of me. Luckily we had our support vehicle trailing us then, or else we could have been hit by a car!
The other rides helped me get up and got me in the van and I iced my body. My bike B.S. (beautiful soul) was dead! Collete (Elizabeth’s bike) was hurt pretty bad as well. We searched for a bike shop in the Lady (our name for our GPS device), but she gave us directions to The Bike Shop…a bar! So we had to trek all the way across town, Elizabeth and Nora on bike and Becky and I in the van for repairs. About 2 hours later, a few new tires and a new derailer, we were better and ready to meet up with the others for lunch.
The others came across some local Mobile kids who had seen us bike into the city the day before and they knew all about us! It was our first time having fans on the road and it felt great!
That is why that day shall forever be known as “The Battle of Mobile.”
-Kathleen
