news

it was good to hear your voice tonight Jed. I was thinking about you and wondering how you were. I got the message that you had two flat tires, and a slashed sidewall. I was afraid you might be forced to walk pushing your bike and carrying your gear, and I was pretty sure that would be extremely painful and damaging to your injured ankle. When you called, I could not bring myself to ask if you had to do that. At least you were in a town, and found a bike shop where you could purchase a new tire. I saw a post on facebook that someone had suggested you get Kevlar reinforced tires, and knew that you had started out already with them. Wyoming must have been a beast on those tires. I don't know anything about these kinds of things, but I have been told those are the best tires you could have had, so it was a big deal they went on you. I guess you can only prepare so much, and then life is just a crap shoot after that. Your voice sounded very good though, so I was much heartened by that. I also checked your fundraiser page, and saw that you got a few more donations. I hope you leave the page up a while after you reach the ocean. I believe we could just keep on keeping on with it for a spell. Maybe those who couldn't before might be able to help out sometime in the future.
I will continue to keep a blog for you till you finish this journey, but perhaps I will go on now and then, and continue your story. You know Jed, it's not just about this run, but about how you live your life, and how you inspire others to do better, and to never give up.

I think it was well said........

Jed Brown.... taking the "I can't" out of the English Language...
one step at a time.

I'm proud to be your mother. I love you Jed.

on the road again

Well, it's been a while hasn't it? I sent an e-mail to those friends who routinely ask about you to update things, but I just haven't had much time to update the blog. I guess it's about time I do that. Your leg healed as much as it was going to, and I know you finally decided to go on in spite of the pain. In truth, healing really is going to take a lot longer than either of us wants, but I know that even with the tremendous heat we have endured this summer, that a sudden storm can blow in at mountain elevations in the fall, so I am glad that you are on your way. Of course, I know that you are pretty qualified to deal with adverse weather and cold. I know that many times at work, you were out in the woods for days at a time with double digit temperatures below zero. I think that is in your genes. Our people were from many generations of those who thrived in cold climates, and you fit right in with that. I also know you love the mountains. That is hard to explain to some, but I know of that love. Missouri has been strange to live in. I've been here so long now, more than anywhere else in my adult life, and yet I always get the feeling that it should be soon time to go home. When I go to Uncle Rynd's house, it feels so easy....as though I am home, yet I am not. Wonder if I will ever be at home here? Wonder where you will end up living, or will you always be a wanderer? Hard to say. For now, home is where Roger is, so that is where I will be. If there is a time when I do not have him, it's hard to say where I would go.

I imagine you as you look up at the sky and those rugged mountains, with the great pines, and wish I had been young enough to accompany you on some of your trips. It's good when you don't have to travel alone. I see these things through your eyes, and am grateful that you are able to do this thing that calls you.

I remember once Papa telling me something when we were in the woods together. I found some forget-me-nots, and wanted him to see how pretty they were. I picked one and brought it to him. He told me to look at it and find all the pretty things I could. I described to him what I saw. He then said "look at it the first time for you, then look at it again for me....and find more...."

I remember one day after he had been gone for a couple years, I was driving west on 92 hwy into Kearney. I capped a little rise, and the sky exploded in front of my eyes into the most beautiful sunset I had seen in some time. I could hear his voice saying....."look at it again for me".......

I had to pull off the road as it was hard to focus through tears, but I looked and saw such beauty,.....then I looked again and saw so so much more. I think that is a good thing Jed. It doesn't have to be for me, but when you see the beauty that I know you are seeing, look at it once for you........then look again, and find more,...... for you for someone special in your life, or just to thank God for making it all. Be grateful for the beauty and wonder of the earth.