Labor of Love

It's Labor Day! A national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity & well-being of our great country. I hope those of you who had the day off were able to spend some quality time with those you love. And maybe a dip in the pool, a few steaks (or some yummy Portobello mushrooms!) on the grill, or an ice-cold beer on the patio - because for all the hard work you do, a treat is well deserved.

Douche

For those who had to clock-in today, my apologies. My opinion is that just as many people who get the Christmas holiday off should get the Labor Day holiday off too. I mean - most of us are workers and today is a celebration of us. That said, there are some who believe today is actually in honor of the business owner and corporate CEO. Those silly Republicans! I mean, they know the U.S. Constitution and the Bible from front to back, and back to front, right? But the purpose of a little holiday seems to elude them. Feel free to ask the owners of your company why you had to work on Labor Day though. They probably have a very understandable explanation about how much money they could make during this holiday.

I digress - but only because I was slightly disgusted by Mr. Cantor's tweet earlier today and I needed to blow off some steam.

Now back to the real topic of this blog. AIDS/LifeCycle training, inspiration and passion!

And, let me tell you folks - today was a day full of passion for the ride! Just like the Fourth of July, I decided to take advantage of the day off work by riding in Red Rock Canyon. Unlike the Fourth of July, today was a bit warmer - it was 85-degrees when I set out and 94-degrees when I got back to my car. That was partly due to the fact that I got a later start. My fault since I didn't prepare last night like I should have - didn't pack my food, didn't mix my electrolyte drinks, didn't put all my gear together in one pile, didn't check the air on my tires, didn't pack essentials in my saddle bag. I also kinda sat around drinking coffee for awhile this morning - I mean, have you seen the sunrises from my house? I had to enjoy it this morning! My tardiness might have had a little something to do with the kids who egged my car last night too. Didn't notice it until I was loading my bike into the back of the SUV and had to clean it off before I parked my car in the hot desert sun for two hours. Fried egg stuck to my car wasn't something I wanted to deal with after my ride, heh!

But I got it all together (and all washed off) because nothing was going to keep me from my goal today! You see, today's ride was in honor of all of those who have so generously donated to provide assistance to those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and the other friends who have shown their kindness by providing gear needed for an epic ride like this. So there I was, geared up and ready to go....

And go I did! Having just gotten back on the bike recently, I didn't think I was ready for the 36-mile accomplishment I made on July 4th so last night I set a different goal as a way to recognize those supporters - one mile for each of them - 22 donors & 4 gear sponsors - 26 miles. And there was no way I was going to let them down!

However, I forgot that the route I chose meant I had a long upward climb! One-thousand, two-hundred and five feet up. Seriously. Up and up and up. The steepest grade was close to six percent. And don't let people fool you - just because there's a downhill on the other side, it is not as easy as a completely flat ride. That climb slows me down tremendously - and I don't make up the time on the downhill. Yes, I go faster - but not twice as fast! I mean, there are speed limits and safety to think about! And my bike, cool as it is, just can't hit those speeds.

But climb I did. And each stroke on those pedals was powered by all of you who believe in me. I might have only been riding 26 miles to represent those who have donated so far - but that's only because there's no way I'm ready to ride enough miles to represent all of those who have wished me well, cheered me on, sent kind words, and shared my fundraising & blog pages with their friends. Hell, I don't think I'll ever be able to ride that many miles!

The ride was beautiful but the cars I encountered on the ride were pretty sweet too. I mean, can you imagine just pulling over on your bike to take a little break for some trail mix and see these pull up in front of you? Ferraris, Lamborghinis & Jaguars. I'm proud of my new ride but it paled in comparison. Y'know what made me feel proud though? The fact that I got to that rest area on my own power - my own two legs - and did it for a good cause. But who knows, maybe they were driving their luxury cars for a good cause too - ya never know! They could probably do 545 miles in a couple hours!

As Red Rock always does, it provided wonderful natural vistas. Big sky. Soft clouds. Joshua trees. Canyon rock. And, honestly, you can see for miles (well, when you're not climbing uphill). It's a big part of what makes that climb so worthwhile.

At every stop, I thought of each of you. Sometimes a song would come on the iPod that reminded me of a bottle of wine shared with you or a camping trip we experienced together. For almost two hours, I was reminded of the beauty in the simplicity of the world - and the graciousness of a simple act of kindness.

Those simple acts provide something far from simple. Did you know a $20 donation pays for an HIV test for someone who may not be able to afford it on their own? And during this test they receive counseling and support on how to stay negative or how to protect their partners if it turns out they're positive? Did you know that one of the benificiaries, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, provides HIV tests to nearly 10,000 people a year? Your twenty bucks helped one of them know their status.

And providing greater support - digger deeper into our pockets - isn't always as simple as it seems. Just as the services they provide aren't simple. A $100 donation can cover the monthly co-pay for life-saving medications to someone who can't afford it. It could provide counseling for three months to a newly diagnosed client trying to find their way through these new challenges they face.

For those twenty-six I rode for today, your support not only helps others live - it helps them to live well. Not well in the "big four bedroom three bath house, pool in the yard, traveling to Europe" kind of way. No, living well for them means they are given the opportunity to feel well enough most days to get outside of the house. That they can use the little bit of the disability money they might receive to rent a RedBox movie they couldn't afford to see at the theater. That they can go to the SF AIDS Foundation to get support to keep their electricity on during the one month they couldn't make ends meet with the $1,100 they get in disability. In all my years working in the HIV/AIDS field, quality of life was always a topic we discussed - and it had a very simple definition: the ability to live with a little more dignity and a little less stress.

For you 26, I made it today. Those 26 miles; each one now gifted with your names. I did it at one of my best paces too. And set a personal record on one stretch of the route; a second best on another stretch. But I didn't do it alone. But you know that, don't you? Of course you do, because you were right there with me. Today each spin of those wheels, each spoke that supported my weight, was a Labor of Love. Love for you. Love for my community. And love for knowing what we as humans can accomplish when we work together.