Reposted from a guest blog post I wrote for RideForDIPG.org
Well hello there friendly readers! We may not have met. I'm Seager from Eugene, Oregon. I just joined Team Maddie about six days ago, which means I've ridden all of three days with them, and also enjoyed three rest days with them. Just call me Mr. Lazy-Pants I guess. Also, spell check doesn't work for me here, so... good luck readers.
Have you ever wondered what it's like to hang out with Team Maddie? What makes these fine young gentlement tick? Just how bad do they smell after a day of riding? What touring does to the mind, body, and sanity? Well, I am in a unique position to explain all of this to you, so stick around! It's time for the Inside Scoop (tm).
First, some credentials. I'm joining Team Maddie for the last 1,000 miles or so of their trip - from the middle of Indiana onward - but I am no touring novice. I was part of Morgan and Jesse's original 2003 ride across country when Morgan was 14 and I was 22. Jesse and I made it all the way to Boston but Morgan had to stop in Nebraska due to knee problems (and, as some have suspected, hallucinations caused by sleep deprevation.) Since then I rode across country again in 2007 with three kick-ass women, then in 2014 I did a 4,000 mile solo tour (sort of all around), then an 800 mile Oregon tour last summer, and I've ridden across Iowa on RAGBRAI 16 times as a member of Team RoadShow. I've quit three different jobs to bike tour, but now I teach high school so I can have adventures every summer.
What the lengthy braggart resume' means is that I join this tour with considerable experience, and an ability to give you, the dear reader, some insight into what the intreprid members of Team Maddie are going through.
Remaining with the main group are the Tasmanians: Rob (a Red's fan) and Tom (who looks like a sea captain), and Nebraskans: Morgan (nursing injury), Aaron (who recently learned how to wax his mustache), and Joe (who has helium in his panniers). They've developed quite the comradery during the 60 or so days they've been together (40 with the Aussies).
Every tour has a different flavor. This one tastes heavily of B.S. About 80% of what comes out of anyone's mouth is complete balderdash meant to screw with someone else on the team. Combine the maturity of a middle school locker room with the sophistication and lying abilty of Saul from Breaking Bad and you have this team. You've got to be constantly on your toes, have skin as thick as your thorn-proof tires, and a good healthy laugh to survive riding with these guys. It truly is good times.
Morgan, who now looks (and smells) exactly like Fozzy Bear leads the group. With a Santa Clause-esque twinkle in his eye he deftly asks you if you want coffee 30 times a day while making himself laugh constantly at jokes he forgets to share with the group. In his teenage years he vowed never to go more than 45 minutes without spinning a line of complete B.S. to someone while cracking himself up, and so far he has not let himself down. A few days ago, while grinning maniacly, he grabbed the top-tube of my bike while riding and almost killed us both. I've never been more scared in my life. I'm not even sure why he did it, but it was funny. I'm not sure how he pulls that off. Also, Morgan loves rocking out to Mack Miller. Everyone buy him Mack Miller CD.
Joe, who has a motor in his seat tube and helium in his bags, is a different story all together. He stands nearby, camouflaged as a tree (or Ent), biding his time with the patience that comes from your blood taking an extra 30 seconds to travel the 6 feet between your heart and your head, until he strikes with a dry comment and a disarming smile. The yin to Morgan's yang, the two make an impressive pair that, when glanced together, resemble a an averaged sized man standing next to a Teddy Bear. I'd tell you more about Joe, but he's too damn fast so I've only seen him twice in six days.
Rob is what happens when a puppy wishes on a shooting star and becomes a real boy. It's easy to focus on his outgoing personality and skillful messing with everyone, but look a little deeper and you'll find a deeply intellegent and caring individual who recently jumped into a pool with his wallet in his pocket. Rob loves to play, and one of his favorite toys seems to be the perceptions of others. You see him really shine with he finds playmates who can keep up, which might be why he fits in to Team Maddie so well. He's also learning to juggle clubs and doesn't totally suck at it.
If Rob is a puppy, Tom is his snuggly pet blanket. Tom, who looks exactly like a sea captain at the moment, vowed to say no more than a hundred words a day for this trip. Luckily he has a psychic link to Rob and can occasionally possess his body for communication needs. Tom and Joe once had an hour-long conversation, but no-one noticed because it was all grunts, smiles, and meaningful looks. However, one should not let their guard down around Tom, because when he does choose to speak it's often to deliver the final winning blow in whatever battle of wits is currently happening. Really, we don't have normal conversations anymore. It's all sh*t talking. Pro-tip, if you want to know what Tom's voice sounds like, get him and Rob arguing about Poke'mon.
Aaron is what happens when a song comes to life, or a beard grows legs and a huge heart, or when a fart starts to smell just a little bit better. He sings and dances with no fear and has an infectious smile (and odor). He loves to argue with the Aussies, and (don't tell him this) is sometimes even right about stuff. He follows his passions and interests with absolutely zero apologies, and we would all do well to follow this example. He's also a literature encylopedia, which almost makes up for the fact that he doesn't know what a flat tire is.
These boys love each other. It's a deep love that can only be forged by the journey they've taken together. Mark and John have left the group for various reasons, but not due to ill-will, and the group follows their progress and speaks of them often. On a bike tour days feel like weeks, weeks feel like months, and months become years They'll spend maybe 60 day as a total group together, but they'll be family for life. Bike touring gives you temporary immortality - you live as much in a summer as you might in several years - and time slows down and bonding speeds up.
None of them will be the same after this trip. Once you complete something like this you can mentally do anything. It's a tool that you have in your toolbox forever. Morgan, while not able to do the entire ride loaded and self-supported, will perhaps come out of this the toughest of all. He stayed with the group, a full member and yet not able to ride, helping get places to stay and focusing hard on the fund raising for The Cure Starts Now. He's doing this for Maddie, and much of his strength comes from that, but I hope he realizes how interally tough he really is. Bodies fail, you can't control that, but your mind you can control and he's stuck with it, watching all of us have a great time riding and he NEVER complains. It's not in his nature. This isn't the first mental trial he's endured, but it's a doosy and he's killin' it! Someone should give him a job when he gets back.
And then there's me, sitting back and hitching my wagon to this train that's already steaming full speed ahead, mixing my metaphomors and having a great time. My only regret is that I couldn't join them earlier, but I was very busy with other adventures. That would also have greatly changed the dynamic that formed in my absence, and I don't want to change a thing about these guys or this group. Look at what they are doing. Look at how much fun they are having. Look at why they are doing it. Look at HOW they are doing it - no negativity, no (real) complaining, no (real) insults or fighting, being incredibily polite and nice to everyone they meet, being incredibly honest under their deep pile of B.S as they eagerly try new experiences with an open mind and judgement-free nature.
These guys, Team Maddie, are Maddie. They are her smile. They are her warmth. They are her love. Beautiful people paying tribute to a beautiful girl in a beautiful way. Thank you for your donations so that, one day, children like Maddie can have these adventures for themselves. Until that day happens, know that children like Maddie live on in every good thing that you do and every good thought that you have. Live life hard, so that you have a little extra life to give to those who can only come along in spirit. We love you Maddie, thanks for riding with us.
(Btw, I maintain a separate blog with stories and photos from this tour and several others at http://siryaps.blogspot.com )
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